Surfer suffers leg injury in possible shark attack at beach near San Francisco, police say

PACIFICA, Calif. (AP) — A surfer suffered a leg injury in a possible shark attack off the California coast just south of San Francisco, authorities said.

Emergency responders were called Friday afternoon following reports that someone had been bitten by a shark, the Pacifica Police Department said.

They found a 52-year-old man who said he had been surfing at Linda Mar Beach “when something bit his lower leg causing injury,” said a police statement Saturday.

“The surfer was able to exit the water and call for medical assistance,” the statement said. “The victim could not see what bit his leg and could not confirm if it was a shark.”

The man, who was not identified, was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, police said. His condition wasn’t known Sunday.

The incident occurred about two weeks after a swimmer was reported missing near Point Reyes National Seashore, northwest of San Francisco Bay, after witnesses reported seeing a shark in the water. The man has yet to be found, SF Gate reported Sunday.

The U.S. Coast Guard said that it could not confirm whether the swimmer’s disappearance was related to a shark attack.