Man swimming near Catalina Island bitten by shark

A man swimming off the coast of Catalina Island early Tuesday morning was bitten by a shark.

Swimmer Chris Murray, who was visiting from the United Kingdom, was attempting to swim the 20 miles between Catalina Island and the Los Angeles County coast when the shark bit him.

"It hit me and I shook it off," Murray said. "And then, I felt another attack and a clamp on my right foot."

The dive boat called Bottom Scratcher, which was escorting him, immediately pulled him from the water, bandaged the injury and radioed for help. Around 1:20 a.m., they met the Los Angeles Fire Department boats at sea.

"A 3-to-4-foot white shark nipped at his leg and then took off," said Shaun Corby, a fire boat pilot.

The swimmer was transferred to San Pedro before being taken to a hospital. Murray needed 20 stitches to close the bite marks. 

"I didn't feel pain, just adrenaline," Murray said. "I didn't even feel shocked. I felt annoyed."

Fire officials describe the bite as minor and non-life-threatening. They add that this kind of incident is extremely rare and there are only about 15 documented shark bites in the LA region since 1950. There are just over 200 documented bites in the entire state in that time.  

According to the Catalina Channel Swimming Federation, this long-distance challenge is a 20-mile open-water crossing from the island back to the mainland. It starts at midnight and is known for rough currents and big Pacific swells.

Murray said he has been training for six months by swimming 25 miles a week. He added that he knew the risks of the 20-mile swim, but never thought a shark would attack him.