A woman is recovering after a terrifying ordeal which saw a shark bite off a part of her thigh while she was out for a relaxing swim.
Lyn Jutronich, 50, was minding her own business in the water on Del Mar Beach, San Diego, when she suddenly felt something bump into her in the water on Friday.
At the time of the attack, Lyn said her and her partner were treading water and even discussed their breakfast plans before they planned to head back to shore.
And then, the unimaginable happened as Lyn retold the tale to ABC 10: ‘I felt a huge, like a really hard hit right, I don’t know how else to say this, like right between my legs and it pushed me.
‘It hurt and it pushed me up and out of the water.’
Although shark attacks are relatively uncommon in America, Lyn knew exactly what was happening.
‘I looked down and I saw the shark bite my thigh,’ she told NBC 7.
‘Fortunately, it released. It shook maybe one time, that’s where I have the tears from, and then released.’
After shaking the animal off she managed to come up for air and scream at her partner, David, for help.
In desperation, she screamed: ‘I’ve just been bit, I’ve just been bit. We have to get to shore, you have to get me into shore.’
Lyn added: ‘I was still swimming with one arm, we just knew we had to get to shore. And that’s all you’re focused on at that point.
‘I just remember saying to him over and over again, “David I’m bit, I’m scared, I’m bit.”‘
When the couple managed to get back to the shore they were met with assistance from lifeguards and first responders.
Lyn was then taken to a nearby hospital where she is still recovering from her injuries.
She is expected to be able to leave hospital over the coming days.
The beach was closed until Sunday with lifeguards later confirming Lyn had been attacked by a juvenile great white shark.
Lyn joked from hospital: ‘My friend sent me an article that said I should buy a Powerball ticket because apparently, the chances of winning the power ball are less than being attacked by a shark so I’ve got that going for me.’
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