Swimmer Possibly Dragged Under Water by Shark Is Dead, Rescuers Say

A California swimmer who was possibly dragged under the water by a shark is dead, rescuers have said.

The 52-year-old had been swimming off Wildcat Beach at Point Reyes at 10:30 a.m. local time on Sunday when he disappeared. Witnesses reported seeing the man being dragged underwater by a shark, but the National Park Service (NPS) said this was "unconfirmed."

The U.S. Coast Guard, Marin County Sheriff's Office, Marin County Fire Department and other agencies launched a search for the swimmer.

This has now turned into a recovery effort, said Point Reyes NPS, as officials no longer expect to find him alive.

Newsweek has contacted Point Reyes NPS for comment.

Although the incident has not been confirmed as a shark attack, the waters around Point Reyes are known to be home to the predators. Great white sharks frequent the waters, particularly in the autumn when their preferred prey, sea lions, congregate in the area.

The sharks are often seen in the shallows, at water depths of around 16 feet.

Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research at the Florida Museum of Natural History, told Newsweek: "Absolutely the probability of a white shark biting a person is higher in areas where the sharks are feeding on seals or sea lions.

"The sharks are cued in on seal-size animals spending time at the surface. A hungry white shark will target anything that might look and behave like an unsuspecting seal, including human swimmers."

Over the past 23 years, there have been five shark attacks on humans at Point Reyes, according to the NPS. All of the attacks occurred around this time of year, when white shark numbers are higher. All five people survived.

The NPS advises swimmers in the area to be careful, especially when in open water near seal colonies.

Most great white shark observations in Point Reyes are concentrated in three areas: Point Reyes Headlands, McClures Beach and Tomales Point.

Shark attacks on humans, particularly great white attacks, remain relatively rare. Although the species have an infamous reputation, humans are not their preferred prey.

Attacks are sometimes a case of mistaken identity by the shark. They often occur when a swimmer is in an area where the sharks actively hunt.

California is the state with the third-most shark attacks in the U.S. Since records began in 1837, the state has reported 136 unprovoked shark attacks, according to the International Shark Attack File run by the Florida Museum.

The last shark attack in California occurred in August, when a 19-year-old kayaker was targeted while off Bean Hollow State Beach in San Mateo County.

The shark leapt out of the water and sank its jaws into the middle of the kayak, the Mercury News reported at the time. The man, who had been fishing, fell into the sea but was not injured.

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Update 10/04/23, 10:50 a.m. ET: This article was updated to add a comment from Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research at the Florida Museum of Natural History.