One California swimmer details the grisly aftermath of a shark attack earlier in June. The man said he had to swim through his own blood after "tussling" with the animal. The shark ended up biting him several times while he was swimming near San Diego, California.
Caleb Adams, 46, was swimming as part of an open water swim group. He said he felt "a strong hit to my body."
"I knew I had been hit by a shark. I tussled with the animal for what was seconds," he told NBC News correspondent Gadi Schwartz. "The second time I struck the animal and I felt a softer tissue. I am going to speculate that that was inside the shark's mouth. And I had several cuts on my hand and wrist."
In response, he yelled "help" and "shark." His friend Kevin Barrett heard his screams and came to his aid. "You know that's a real scream," Barrett recalled. However, the shark was gone when Barrett made it over to him.
Man Survives Shark Attack
"When I was swimming him in, the blood was just pouring out of his chest," he recalled. They finally made it to shore. "We could really see the traumatic extent of his injuries and it was not pretty."
A lifeguard came to Adams' aid. He told him not to look down as emergency responders loaded him into the ambulance. They rushed him to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla. Adams had bites on his left hand, his left arm, and also his torso. They also temporarily closed the beach after it happened.
Another member of Adams' swim group remembered the incident. Jenna Veal said that she hear Adams scream for help. "He punched it in the face. He punched it in the nose," she said. "I do know he had a gash on his hand from a shark's tooth."
Adams has made a remarkable recovery despite the incident. He's covered in scars and stitches, but he's not letting that stop him. He returned to the beach just two weeks later.
"It's emotional being here, without question," he said. "I have a beautiful community to lean on and I'm very thankful," he added. Apparently, the location has also become a nursery for young great white sharks.
