Shark Attack Leaves Surfer with ‘Puncture Wounds’ and Board Bit in Half: 'Like Being Hit by a Car' By Gabrielle Rockson

A surfer has been left with minor injuries and a broken board after being attacked by a shark off the Mendocino County coast in California.

On Tuesday, Jan. 13, emergency services arrived north of the Gualala River and attended to a man who had sustained “puncture wounds,” at around 8:45 a.m., South Coast Fire Chief Jason Warner told the San Francisco Chronicle.

The man was left with half of his surfboard but was able to take himself to an area hospital to receive stitches, the outlet added. 

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The injured surfer was identified as Tommy Civik, 26, of Point Arena, according to SFGATE.

He had been surfing in the ocean for under 10 minutes before the attack occurred around 150 feet from the shoreline, the San Francisco Chronicle and The Mercury News reported.

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A friend told authorities that the surfer was hit then thrown into the air by the shark, per the San Francisco Chronicle. He added that he saw a large shark taking half of Civik’s board before it vanished into the ocean.

“It was like being hit by a car,” Civik told SFGATE. “All of a sudden, I was shot out of the water.”

Civik added that he was left with three teeth marks on his upper left thigh, which caused puncture wounds and shredded his wet suit. 

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife are currently testing Civik’s torn wet suit, broken board and wound dressings to confirm the species of the shark involved in the attack, according to SFGATE.

PEOPLE has contacted the South Coast Fire Protection District and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for comment.