Based on bite marks on its victim, the shark that attacked a swimmer in California was estimated to be about 20 feet long, making it potentially one of the largest great whites in the world.
On June 22, 62-year-old Monterey resident Steve Bruemmer was attacked while swimming off Lovers Point in Pacific Grove. His arm, stomach, and leg had all been bitten by the shark, and the marks suggested its massive size.
World's Largest Great White Shark Bites California Swimmer
Santa Cruz Sentinel reported that Bruemmer, a Monterey resident, is still at Natividad Medical Center in Salinas, where he was confined after the horrible shark attack. He retired as an IT specialist and computer science instructor at Monterey Peninsula College last year.
He continues to swim with the open-ocean swimming club Kelp Krawlers regularly off the coast of Pacific Grove. However, on Wednesday, he was swimming by himself.
In a statement obtained by KVTU, Bruemmer noted that the day was incredibly quiet and pleasant, and the beach was packed. According to him, there were no waves and no chop. That was why Bruemmer's cries of "Help!" could be heard from a vast distance.
His rescuers, two paddleboarders and a surfer, heard his calls for assistance and came to his aid, saving his life.
"He was 300 feet out. A lot of tourists cry wolf and cry out 'shark!' It's rarely the case. It's usually a dolphin," surfer instructor Heath Braddock said per Metro.
Witnesses claimed that Bruemmer was bitten many times, resulting in serious wounds on his chest and legs.
Bruemmer was assisted in boarding the larger of the two surfboards by the two paddle boarders. Braddock then tugged on Bruemmer's healthy arm as other rescuers assisted in lifting the other arm that had been bitten.
Braddock said Bruemmer's leg wound was the most severe since his bone was completely exposed. The front part of his tummy received the most damage.
Following the assault, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) conducted a forensic analysis of the bites and concluded that a great white shark was to blame.
About Great White Sharks
According to California news source SFist (via Newsweek), the DFW assessed that the shark might have been up to 20 feet long based on a study of the bites.
Given that great white sharks may grow to a maximum length of 20 feet, as stated by the nature organizations Oceana and the World Wildlife Fund, the shark that attacked Bruemmer could be one of the biggest in the world, according to Daily Star.
Deep Blue, a 20-foot great white shark that weighs more than 5,500 pounds and is believed to be older than 50, is the largest great white shark ever recorded.
Due to their involvement in attacks on humans and their size, great white sharks are arguably the most well-known and infamous sharks. According to the Florida Museum's International Shark Attack File on June 27, the species is blamed for 354 unprovoked attacks worldwide and is known to have killed more humans than any other shark species.
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