Kayaker Bitten By Shark Near Malibu Talks About Scary Encounter

VENTURA (CBSLA.com) — The Kayaker, who was attacked by a shark Saturday near Malibu, said he will no longer go fishing for sharks on his kayak.

It's a hobby most people cannot understand. But for Dylan Marks, catching sharks on California's coast and releasing them has been a lifelong passion.

But on Sept. 5 off Deer Creek Beach near Point Mugu, his search for adventure left him searching for help in the middle of the ocean.

He hooked a Hammerhead shark, which pulled on his kayak. When Marks got close enough to pull out the hook, he got hooked.

"I felt it brushing against me kind of in between my legs and around underneath the kayak, and I felt the skin. I felt it kind of thrash around. Then I felt something different," he said. The hammerhead bit Marks in the foot.

He was able to wrap his foot, flag down a boat and was flown to a hospital, where he underwent surgery to repair several broken muscles and ligaments. He will not be walking for weeks.

"I got in the way of a scared animal, and I put it in that position," Marks said.

Marks said he is thankful the shark was not vengeful. "The size of that shark with the mouth it had on it; I probably wouldn't have a foot. I probably would have bled out by the time I got to shore," the 29-year-old  said.

Although Marks said he still loves the ocean and sharks, being bitten by one has given him a new perspective.

"I am not shark fishing on my kayak anymore," he said.

Marks said he realized loving the ocean and sharks means protecting them and respecting them enough to leave them alone.

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