Shark Followed Rescuers After California Attack

Shocking as it was, a witness offered new details in the story of a California teen bitten by a shark that suggest the attack could have gotten worse. Per USA Today, a kayaker who helped rush the bloodied victim out of the water following Saturday's incident in Encinitas said the predator tailed his vessel as it made its way to shore. Chad Hammel told the paper he was among the first to respond to the 13-year-old's shouts for help. When they pulled the unnamed teen into the kayak, Hammel said the shark wasn't far behind and wasn't ready to give up.

Hammel provided gory details about the boy's injuries, stating that it appeared as if the flesh at his collar bone had been ripped open. Hammel said he did what he could to calm the boy, who was conscious, before he was soon airlifted to a hospital. He underwent emergency surgery and was subsequently listed in critical but stable condition. Per the AP, the boy was at the shore north of San Diego skin diving at the start of the popular spiny lobster season when the attack occurred. While witnesses estimated the shark was around 11 feet long, officials were still working over the weekend to determine the species. (Just weeks ago, a boogie boarder lost his life across the country in Cape Cod's first fatal shark attack in 82 years.)