Lyn Jutronich was swimming with her partner, David, on Friday morning off the coast of Del Mar Beach in San Diego when she was ambushed and bitten on the leg by a great white shark.
The 50-year-old woman said right before the incident happened she was discussing plans to eat breakfast and was knocked out of the water before looking down to see the apex predator biting her leg.
“I felt a huge, really hard hit right between my legs and it pushed me. It hurt and it pushed me up and out of the water. I looked down and I saw the shark bite my thigh. Fortunately, it released. It shook maybe one time, that’s where I have the tears from, and then released.”
She explained to NBC that it drug her underwater and when she came back to the surface she screamed that she had just been bitten.
“I’ve just been bit, I’ve just been bit. We have to get to shore, you have to get me into shore,” Lyn explained. “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.”‘
Lifeguards and first responders heard what was going on and rushed out and met Lyn and David in the water to help them both get to shore.
Lyn received medical treatment on the beach and then was transported to the hospital where she remained for a few days to monitor her wounds. According to the bite mark, the great white appeared to be a juvenile.
The beach was also closed down for the rest of Friday and Saturday but then reopened to the public on Sunday.
Lyn told NBC, “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.”