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Kayaker describes getting tossed into ocean by shark near Cambria

Posted at 6:35 PM, Oct 25, 2019
and last updated 2019-10-25 23:32:50-04

A Central Valley man was knocked into the water after a great white shark bit his kayak Friday morning.

At about 8:30 a.m., David Zamora was out fishing about two miles offshore from Leffingwell Landing in Cambria. He says a great white shark, about 10-feet long, bit into his kayak and caused him to flip over.

Zamora was able to get back on his kayak within a minute and started calling for help via a radio as the shark swam away.

"It just happened so quickly and my first instinct was get back on. I don't want to leave no limbs hanging just in case he's coming for seconds, you know. Just get back on the yak was the main thing," Zamora said.

Jeremy Hinds was also out fishing with Zamora and says he heard him calling for help.

"I kind of panicked myself. I froze thinking, 'I'm next.' I started paddling over and I'm just waiting to see what's happening. He was able to get on his kayak by about the time I came over there," Hinds said.

Zamora and Hinds were rescued by a nearby boater.

"It was a pretty surreal experience," Zamora added.

Both men walked away uninjured, and Zamora has a piece of the shark's tooth as a souvenir.