According to the girl’s family, the 15-year-old was attacked by a sea lion, who was sick with the recent toxic algae blooming during a swimming test in Long Beach.
On Sunday, Phoebe Bertrand had completed a swimming test for the Cadet Junior Lifeguard Program near 2100 Ocean Boulevard, she told The Times.
As she was swimming during a 1,000-yard swimming, she felt the “sense of biting” in her right arm over and over again. The teenager covered the water, saw the shadows, fearing it was a shark.
“I was very scared,” she said. “I thought the shark was trying to kill me by biting my arm.”
Phoebe’s mother, Viviana Bertran, said she heard her daughter scream for help. She noticed something brown underwater, but at first she thought it was seaweed.
The lifeguard ran in to help the girl head to shore, and Viviana watched the sea lions fly their heads over the water. She then saw the other sea lions in the water.
“When she got close enough, we noticed her arm was bloody,” Viviana Bertran said. “As a mother, you’re surprised because you don’t expect it to be your child.”
Experts say toxic algae events are exacerbated by warming ocean temperatures caused by climate change and nitrate-induced ocean acidification.
The surfer reported an attack by a sea lion, “wild, almost devil” while on a board meeting off the coast of Ventura County last month.
In the latest incident, paramedics quickly gave Phoebe’s first aid for her injuries and she was rushed to the emergency room.
The girl punctures the wounds and wounds, but no stitching was required.
“I’m physically getting better,” Phoebe said. “I got painkillers and antibiotics. It was generally an emotional roller coaster. I didn’t know what was going on, and there was a flashback moment.”
Bibiana Beltran said emergency room doctors contacted the local marine mammal centre for advice on how to treat sea lion attacks, as they had never seen before. She said doctors were told about toxic algae flowers that make sea lions sick and sometimes aggressive.
“We’re grateful that it wasn’t as bad as we thought when we heard the screams from the water,” Viviana said.
Sea lions and other marine mammals in Southern California have been sick from a recent addiction event.
When you consume domo acid from the harmful algae Bloom, sea lions can cause seizures and cause them to stun their heads in motion called “starry sky removal.” They can also fall into coma. Experts advise people not to interact with animals that are thought to be sick, as they may actively charge or even bite.
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