Point Reyes Light - June 6, 2002
Shark attacks surfer off Stinson Beach
By Andrea Blum
Parkside Cafe owner John Gilbert and friends were sitting on their surfboards offshore of Stinson Beach about 2 p.m. Friday. The day was sunny, the waves head high, then Gilbert heard the screams.
The restaurateur looked over his shoulder in time to see surfer Lee Fontan, 24, of Bolinas in the jaws of a 12- to 15-foot great white shark that had just launched his victim four feet into the air.
Fontan had been about five yards further out than the other surfers, and no one saw the shark coming. The surfer, however, immediately fought back, hitting the shark as hard as he could on its nose.
Hit shark on nose
Fontan's father Paul on Wednesday told The Light that five years ago he advised his son, "If ever you find yourself in this situation, the only recourse you have is to hit the shark in the nose."
Whether the blow worked or whether the shark merely lost interest in Fontan after discovering the surfer and his board did not add up to a seal dinner is uncertain. In any case, as quickly as the shark appeared it disappeared and wasn’t seen again.
The attack is the second in Stinson Beach since 1998 and the 13th in Marin county since 1952. The surf off Stinson Beach and Bolinas lie within an area known as the Red Triangle. In the triangle, which stretches from Bird Rock near the mouth of Tomales Bay to the Farallon Islands down to Año Nuevo in San Mateo County, there are more shark attacks on humans than anywhere else in the world. Luckily, very few of those attacks have been fatal. Of 82 attacks in California since 1950, only seven have resulted in death, and none of these were in Marin County.
Second shark spotted
However, another shark was sighted off Stinson Beach at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, causing the Park Service to continue its temporary ban on swimming at the beach. For now, knee-deep wading is all that’s allowed.
This week Fontan remained at Eden Medical Center recovering from the ordeal. It took 100 stitches to close an eight-inch-deep wound in his thigh and flank as well as wounds to his arms, rib cage, and a shoulder.
He has begun physical therapy and remains strong but told The Light he is exhausted. Adding to his stress, Fontan said, is that news media from throughout the country have wanted to interview him about the experience. "Just give me time and rest," Fontan tells reporters. "I want to heal. I’ll tell my story when I am ready."
Fundraisers planned
However, it has been crucial that the basics of Fontan’s story get out, for he has no insurance to pay for his medical bills so Surfrider Foundation has established a fund to collect donations.
Scott Tye of Stinson Beach, a member of the foundation and owner of Off the Beach Boats, started the fundraising by arranging for the foundation and townspeople to start the fund and hold a series of fundraisers.
No dates have yet been set, but a barbecue and art auction will be scheduled soon. "It's encouraging," said Tye, "[Surfrider members] are sending get-well cards from [as far as] Australia, and we already raised $550 at last week’s Cuisine on the Green."
What a fellow surfer saw
In fact, help for Fontan began the moment the shark struck. "I saw him in the mouth of the shark," recalled Gilbert. "Its gills were wide open like shutters. It then splashed down sideways and went underwater. Then I saw Lee trying to get on his board."
Despite the presence of the shark, Gilbert immediately began to paddle to Fontan, and within moments, another surfer called out for everyone to form a group as they paddled toward Fontan.
"He seemed to have his wits about him," said Gilbert. "I almost thought he was lucky and didn't get hurt until we [reached] him and saw the water full of blood."
It took at least 15 minutes for Fontan’s rescuers to pull him to shore, noted Gilbert, adding, "It was surprising how long it took." Since the waves had died down temporarily, the ocean provided no help in carrying Fontan to the beach. Worse yet, Fontan was on a short surfboard, which meant much of his body was in the water creating a drag.
Bite went deep
Once near the beach, Fontan’s fellow surfers moved him onto a longboard, which they used as a stretcher to bring him ashore. Fontan was still alert and talking, said Gilbert. He was curious to see what the damage was. Luckily his bleeding wasn’t severe – perhaps because he was wearing a wetsuit and the ocean was cold.
Nonetheless, the shark had ripped Fontan’s left leg open clear to the thigh bone, and Gilbert said he had to shove a thigh muscle back inside Fontan.
"You could see everything – the ligaments, sinew and muscles," said Gilbert. The surfers, including Gilbert, used rash guards (which are often worn under wetsuits) and surfboard leashes to apply pressure to Fontan’s leg and ribs.
Rescuers
Stinson Beach Volunteer Fire Department medics arrived immediately after a 2:15 p.m. 911 call, as did as Park Service lifeguards, county ambulance crews, and sheriff’s deputies. Within 15 minutes, a helicopter picked up Fontan and transported him to the trauma center at Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley.
The fact that there were more than a dozen surfers in the water aided the rescue effort tremendously, said Gilbert. After discovering how much time it took to get Fontan to shore, Gilbert commented that he will now surf only if there are two or more people with him. "Although there is no way to tell how you are going to react in such situations," he said, "if you going to surf, be prepared to help someone or don't surf."
News organizations
The victim’s father, Paul Fontan, said his son is doing "really well" and will be out of the hospital sometime this week. His only complaint concerned some overly aggressive news media who forced their way into his hospital room to take photographs.
The father told The Light, "We had to change his room and get a guard; its disgusting!" Paul said his son was brave throughout the attack and remained calm in the aftermath. He added that he himself is thankful that his only son is still here to tell the story.
Those interested in donating to the fund to help the surfer can write: The Lee Fontan Benefit Fund c/o Marin Surfrider Chapter. The chapter has an account at Northern Trust Bank 575 Redwood Highway in Mill Valley 94941.