An Oregon surfer was seriously injured by a shark attack Monday.
Joseph Tanner, a 29-year-old from Portland, was surfing off Indian Beach near Ecola State Park, when a shark bit his leg. He was airlifted to a local hospital with serious bites to his upper thigh and lower leg, according to police. Officials didn’t disclose his current condition.
David Norris, a volunteer paramedic in the state park, said he arrived on scene to see “bystanders, helping out, good Samaritans” who had brought Tanner out of the water and were providing aid.
Witness Jeff Rose told CNN affiliate KPTV Tanner was alert when he was pulled out of the water, talking to the other surfers.
Stephen Craig was getting ready to go in the water when he saw a group of people bringing Tanner up from the beach. “He was in a lot pain, obviously, and shock,” said Craig. “But he’s going to be alright.”
Shark attacks in Oregon are rare.
In 2011, a shark took a two-foot bite out of a surfboard after encountering a surfer off another Oregon beach. The Oregon State Police are investigating Monday’s incident.
