Guide Note

Dr. Dave Martin, a 66-year-old retired veterinarian, was fatally wounded during a shark attack while swimming at Solana Beach, California, just north of San Diego. Martin was training for a triathlon on April 25, 2008, when apparently a Great White Shark bit Martin, severing his leg from the knee. The attack occurred 150 yards from the shore at about 7 a.m. Local Scripps Institution of Oceanography expert Richard Rosenblatt said the shark was probably between 12 and 17 feet long.

Swimmers were ordered out of the water in a 17-mile radius from the attack. The water was reopened before 12pm PDT, but authorities warned that swimmers should take caution from Solana Beach north to Carlsbad, California. Mayor Joe Kellejian said, "The shark is still in the area. We're sure of that."

Fast Facts

1. First fatal shark attack in CA since 2004
2. Last fatal shark attack in U.S. occurred in 2006
3. Only fatal shark attack in 2007 occurred in the South Pacific
4. Solana Beach is 14 miles northwest of San Diego