Violent Shark Attack Kills Triathlete Swimmer Training in Ocean Off San Diego Beach

This is a tragic story in today’s news about a triathlete named Dave Martin who was killed by a great white shark while training in the ocean. Click here to read a warm tribute by his tri club president, and view a race photo of Dave.

Here’s the news story:

Violent Shark Attack Kills Triathlete Swimmer Training in Ocean Off San Diego Beach

Friday, April 25, 2008

SOLANA BEACH, Calif. — A male triathlete swimmer was killed Friday morning in a gruesome and violent shark attack at a San Diego County beach.

The victim — one of a group of triathlete swimmers training in the ocean — was pulled into shore, but efforts by medics to revive him failed, Deputy Fire Chief Dismas Abelman told FOX News.

The victim has been identified as Dave Martin, 66, a retired veterinarian who was swimming with members of a triathlon club, said family friend Rob Hill.

Witnesses reported seeing the Martin’s leg severed at the knee.

“He had very severe injuries to both legs,” Abelman told FOX. He said the wound was a single bite across both legs.

A marine biologist told a beachside news conference Friday that the animal was “almost certainly a great white shark.”

“I was told that the victim was pushed up out of the water in a violent attack,” said Richard Rosenblatt of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. “That’s typical great white behavior.”

Rosenblatt said the bite was likely “clean and massive” and believes the animal was a female The victim was swimming with the others when he was attacked at about 7 a.m.

“It looks like the shark came up, bit him, and swam away,” said Abelman. A group of about 10 swimmers wearing wetsuits were in the water at the time, he said.

…read full story here: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,352603,00.html