The woman was hospitalized for a stab wound and lacerations to her upper right thigh, according to Jon Edelbrock, chief lifeguard for the city of Del Mar. The woman received stitches and is recovering. Mr Edelbrock said the shark may have been a juvenile large shark, although officials are waiting for scientists to confirm this. Juvenile great white sharks often swim in the Pacific waters off Del Mar’s coastline. A lifeguard spotted the woman and a friend shortly after 10 a.m. Friday as they returned to shore after swimming more than a mile, Edelbrock said. He noticed that their strokes changed and the friend was waving his arms for help when they were a few hundred meters from the beach but outside the surf zone. He said lifeguards helped the couple back to shore but did not spot the shark. The beach is closed for at least 48 hours. “She had a diligent swimming girlfriend,” Mr. Edelbrock said. “They both kept their cool pretty well.” Del Mar is located approximately 20 miles (32 km) north of downtown San Diego. A juvenile 8-foot great white shark washed up dead Sunday off the shores of Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve and State Beach, nearly three miles south of Friday’s attack, local media reported.
