Kayaker survives shark attack in Santa Barbara

A man says he's lucky to have escaped without a scratch after a shark bit his ocean kayak and tipped him into the water in Santa Barbara.|
ASSOCIATED PRESS
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

SANTA BARBARA - A man says he's lucky to have escaped without a scratch after a shark bit his ocean kayak and tipped him into the water in Santa Barbara.

Bret Jackson tells KSBY-TV (http://bit.ly/2uHkfK2) that he was kayaking about a mile from Stearns Wharf on Thursday when a shark appeared only a foot from his face and grabbed the side of the kayak.

Jackson says the kayak flipped over. He managed to get back onto the kayak and paddled it to a nearby dinghy.

The Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol measured the bite mark at about 16 inches. Authorities have contacted shark experts to determine whether the attacker was a great white.

Meanwhile, shark warning signs have been posted at all city beaches and swimming is banned for the next 48 hours.

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Information from: KEYT-AM, http://www.keyt.com/radio

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