Dr. David Martin, triathlete, killed by shark off Solana Beach, 66
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Veteran triathlete killed by shark off Solana Beach
By Karen Kucher, Debbi Farr Baker and Susan Shroder
UNION-TRIBUNE BREAKING NEWS TEAM
and Terry Rodgers and Angela Lau
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITERS
4:58 p.m. April 25, 2008
SOLANA BEACH - A retired veterinarian swimming with members of a triathlon
club was killed Friday morning in a shark attack north of Fletcher Cove.
A marine expert said the wounds appeared to be from a great white shark, an
attack he described as "practically unprecedented" in the area.
The victim, 66-year-old Dr. David Martin of Solana Beach, was a member of
the Triathlon Club of San Diego and a father of four. He was attacked
shortly after 7 a.m. as he was swimming about 150 yards offshore in water 20
to 30 feet deep, officials said.
Richard H. Rosenblatt, a professor emeritus of marine biology at Scripps
Institution of Oceanography who examined Martin's body, said he believed the
shark was a great white between 12-to-17-feet-long.
Rosenblatt said witnesses reported that Martin "was thrust vertically up out
of the water, and that sounds like what white sharks do when they attack a
seal."
The expert said the shark likely thought the swimmer was a seal, and that
almost all attacks by white sharks on swimmers are cases of mistaken
identity.
Encinitas Lifeguard Lt. Paul Chapman said Martin had deep jagged lacerations
on his upper thighs to the lower shin, with a bite radius of about 22
inches.
Rosenblatt called the marks "the kind of slicing wounds that you would
expect from a white shark." He described an attack as a "tremendous powerful
rush followed by a powerful bite."
Solana Beach Marine Safety Capt. Craig Miller said witnesses told lifeguards
that Martin was attacked by a "big gray shark".
Martin was swimming with about 10 others from the triathlon group, heading
north from Fletcher Cove, near Tide Park, when the attack occurred. All the
swimmers were wearing wet suits.
Miller said two of the swimmers were about 20 yards ahead of Martin when he
was attacked. They heard him screaming, went to his aid and brought him to
shore, he said.
The swimmers who were with Martin went to a community center to speak with
officials. They declined to speak to reporters.
Signs are posted advising swimmers to stay out of the water on an eight mile
stretch of coastline from Torrey Pines State Beach to South Carlsbad State
Beach. Lifeguards are also warning swimmers and surfers to stay out of the
water.
Following the attack, lifeguards in two vehicles were patrolling Solana
Beach's nearly two miles of coastline and a sheriff's helicopter flew
overhead, telling people to stay out of the water. The helicopter would fly
over the area until 6 p.m. Friday, then resume at 8 a.m. Saturday,
authorities said.
A Coast Guard helicopter was also sent to the area. The crew helped clear
the area and spotters were trying to "spot the culprit," said Coast Guard
Petty Officer Clinton Dotson.
Miller said that if swimmers ignore the ban, sheriff's deputies would be
called to enforce the order.
"This is a tragic situation for Solana Beach and the surrounding areas and
the county of San Diego," said Solana Beach Mayor Joe Kellejian.
Kellejian urged the public to listen to safety officers and stay out of the
water, but added: "We don't want people to panic."
In Encinitas, extra lifeguards were called in and they cleared the water as
a precaution, warning surfers face-to-face not to go out.
"A couple people have chosen to go in the water and surf at Swami's and at
Beacons, against our advice," lifeguard Chapman said.
Later in the day, more surfers disregarded warnings and were seen in the
water.
So far, no San Diego beaches have been closed, San Diego lifeguard Lt. Nick
Lerma said. "It happened a significant distance from us, so we're sort of
status quo," Lerma said.
Rosenblatt, the Scripps scientist, said there isn't a resident population of
white sharks off San Diego County, but female sharks come from the north to
give birth.
Chapman noted a baby white shark was found at a nearby lagoon two weeks ago.
Great white sharks swim great distances and have been known to be tagged in
Monterey in northern California and then turn up in Hawaii, he said.
"The chances of finding this particular shark are very slim," Rosenblatt
said.
Volker Hoehne, president of the San Diego Free Divers, said there have been
increased shark sightings off San Diego County. He said members of the club
reported seeing two great whites under water off Oceanside last week.
Hoehne said he dives about twice a week to spearfish and that he's not
afraid of sharks. But after hearing about Friday's attack, he plans to move
his diving to Orange County. "I'm not going in the water (here) for a little
while. (Great whites), they're mammal eaters."
Steven Elbogen, who has been surfing off Ocean Beach for 33 years, said the
fatality will not keep him out of the water.
"First off, I'm sorry to see someone perish," he said. "But I hope it scares
everyone out of the water and I'll be surfing alone."
Remarking that it's been 14 years since a person was attacked by a shark in
San Diego County, Elbogen added: 'That's 14 years and 10,000,000 waves
later. Those are good odds. I'll take 'em.'
The last confirmed shark attack in San Diego County waters was in 1994.
The victim, 25-year-old Michelle Von Emster, went for a nighttime swim by
herself in Ocean Beach April 14.
Her body, with her leg severed at midthigh, was found the following day two
miles to the south, near the surfing area known as Garbage Reef.
Local investigators determined she drowned after being bitten by a great
white shark, but state Fish & Game investigators said it couldn't be
determined which happened first.
Homicide detectives were called in after friends of the victim raised
questions of foul play.
Friends said the woman - whose body was found unclothed - would not swim
alone or without a swimsuit. They also wondered why Von Emster's purse was
found on the bluffs above the beach, and why her clothing was never found.
Reports of a great white shark at the same spot raised alarms in 2003, two
years after great white shark sightings caused a scare at the venerable surf
spot at San Onofre State Beach. No one was harmed either time.