Kayak Fisherman Bitten Twice by Shark He Hooked Off Malibu's Paradise Cove
A morning of kayak fishing off Malibu turned violent on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026, when a shark the fisherman had hooked bit him twice — once aboard his kayak, and again after knocking him into the ocean. The man was fishing about a half-mile offshore near Paradise Cove, one of Malibu's most recognizable stretches of coastline, when he hooked the shark and managed to bring it onto his kayak.
Los Angeles County lifeguard Alex Buford told NBC Los Angeles that the shark bit the fisherman as he tried to release it, sending him into the water. "The shark bit him, he let the shark go and then the shark came back and knocked him off the boat and attacked him again and bit his leg again," Buford said. The shark involved is believed to have been a shortfin mako, a fast and aggressive predator that averages 6 to 7 feet in length.
The victim suffered two bite wounds to his lower body. A manager at the nearby Paradise Cove Beach Cafe told KTLA he saw the injuries around the victim's legs: "He was bitten in two places. I saw there were some teeth marks on his lower leg and above the knee." The manager added: "We've had a lot of crazy stuff happen here, but we've never had a shark attack like that."
A nearby fisherman witnessed the encounter, rushed to the victim's aid, pulled him from the water onto his boat, and brought him back to shore. The victim then called his girlfriend — a retired lifeguard — who helped him from the boat, assisted him onshore, and called for emergency responders.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department initially described the incident as a shark attack but later characterized it as a "fishing accident," ABC7 reported. Fire crews received the report at 8:32 a.m. as a bite or sting in the 28200 block of West Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, and the victim was being transported to a local hospital by 8:55 a.m., officials said.
As of Sunday afternoon, officials had not publicly released the severity of his injuries or his condition. Dramatic video from the scene shows a lifeguard rushing through the water toward the fisherman while a small fishing boat floats nearby.
Paradise Cove beach remained open following the incident. "Mako sharks typically stay in deeper water, so I don't think there's too much concern for shallow water swimming or anything," Buford said. "That's why we haven't closed down the beach." Officials have not yet publicly confirmed the shark species beyond the preliminary mako identification, and no additional details about the victim's injuries have been released.