A California surfer was left fearing for his life after coming face-to-face with a huge shark that destroyed his board just off the coast of a popular beach.
Jens Heller had only paddled 100 yards off the shore of Montara State Beach on May 31 when he felt a sudden lurch under his surfboard and something hit his foot from below the water.
At first, the father thought he’d hit a rock – but he soon realized the truth was far more terrifying.
The impact caused him to wobble and eventually fall from his board. When he came up from under the water, he was making direct eye contact with the beady black eyes and sharp, pointed teeth of one of the ocean’s most terrifying creatures.
‘I shoved the board towards the shark and tried to kick to get away, but then it let go of the board pretty quickly and just swam away,’ he told SFGATE.
The 42-year-old then grabbed his board and paddled towards the shore as fast as he could, although he still wasn’t sure he’d make it out alive.
He told local news outlets that his wife and six-month-old daughter were waiting back on the beach, completely oblivious to Heller’s brush with the creature.
Once safely on land and out of harm’s way, Heller took a closer look at the damage his aquatic nemesis had done to the surfboard. It was only then he realized just how close its teeth had come to his foot.
Jens Heller, 42, came face-to-face with a shark just off the coast of Montara State Beach. His surfboard was left with a huge bite mark from the 10-foot beast
Heller had only paddled 100 yards off of shore when he felt a lurch under his board and something hit his foot from below the water. (Pictured: Montara State Beach)
The board sustained several bite marks, but the Albany, California resident is calling them ‘curiosity bites,’ knowing the predator could’ve torn him and the board to shreds if it really wanted to.
Several nearby surfers witnessed the encounter and one of them estimated that Heller’s attacker was about 10 feet long. The species is currently unclear but Heller told local sources he believes it may have been a white shark.
Montara State Beach officials have taken samples from the board to confirm.
Despite coming a little too close for comfort, Heller says he’s going to keep surfing, just maybe not at Montara State Beach – at least not for a while.
‘Yeah, I will go back out.,’ he said to local news channel ABC7.
‘I have to be in the water at some point again.’
California State Park Information Officer Adeline Yee told Daily Mail that following the incident at 2pm on May 31, lifeguards cleared the water and posted shark closure signage. The beach has reopened as of 2pm on Monday, June 3.
Though he attempted to patch it up, the surfboard is now retired. Heller says it will go on his wall as a badge of honor
The board sustained several bite marks, but Heller is calling them ‘curiosity bites,’ knowing the predator could’ve torn him and the board to shreds if it really wanted to
Yee also said: ‘California State Parks would like to remind visitors that sharks are an important part of the coastal ecosystem and that interactions between people and sharks are rare.’
Despite the terrifying encounter, Heller remains optimistic. He told local sources that he’s glad to have an excuse to buy a new surfboard, even noting that this one was getting old anyway.
Though he attempted to patch it up, the surfboard is now retired. Heller says it will go on his wall as a badge of honor.
Daily Mail reached out to Heller for comment.
