A teenage girl from Long Beach, California, was attacked by an aggressive sea lion while participating in a swim test, leaving her with various injuries.
The attack on the 15-year-old girl occurred on Sunday and happened while the victim was participating in a swim test for the local cadet lifeguard program. It was then that the sea lion suddenly bore its teeth, tussled, and repeatedly scratched the teenager.
Sea Lion Attacks Teenage Girl
The teen, identified as Phoebe Beltran, said that she suddenly felt something biting and grabbing her arm multiple times. She noted that she only saw a shadow of it and had no idea what was attacking her at the time.
Beltran added that she repeatedly hoped that it was not a shark and was worried that her arm would be ripped from her body. The surprising incident comes as there has been a historic toxic algae bloom in Southern California.
This has caused many marine mammals, such as sea lions and dolphins, to get sick and sometimes become aggressive. The teenage girl said that she loves the beach, the ocean, and swimming, according to Yahoo News.
When Beltran went into the water for the swim test, she initially thought that it would be a simple thing to finish. The 15-year-old said she never expected something like a sea lion attacking her would happen.
The incident comes more than a week after another sea lion attack occurred in Ventura County. The victim was identified as surfer RJ LaMendola, who was mauled by the "demonic" marine mammal.
The Surprising Attack
Beltran was among 12 candidates who were tasked with swimming roughly 25 yards from the shore during the program. Long Beach Fire Department Capt. Jack Crabtree noted that the incident happened near the Marine Safety Division's lifeguard headquarters at Ocean Boulevard and Cherry Avenue, ABC7 reported.
The fire captain said that lifeguards on shore saw the sea lion emerge from the water as it attacked the teenage girl's arm. They then quickly swam to the victim and helped them get back to shore while a lifeguard boat brought the other swimmers back as well.
Beltran's mother said that she was terrified for her daughter, noting that the teen could have been pulled under by the marine mammal. While the teenager is still recovering from her injuries, she is already looking forward to trying out for the lifeguard cadets once she is better.
Marine experts have warned any individual who encounters a sea lion, either on the beach or the water, to slowly back away. They should avoid acting menacingly and avoid eye contact with the animals, as per KTLA.
Originally published on parentherald.com
