Overview

• Christopher Murray, 50, says a 3–4 foot juvenile great white bit his left hand and then his right foot at about 1:20 a.m. on Sept. 30, roughly three hours into his Catalina Channel swim.
• He fought free by kicking the shark, reached his escort boat, and was pulled aboard by his crew for first aid.
• The Los Angeles Fire Department sent four boats and took him to shore, where he received 20 stitches to his hand and more extensive treatment to his foot.
• Murray describes feeling adrenaline rather than pain and frustration at abandoning the Catalina leg of the open‑water Triple Crown he had trained six months to attempt.
• Fire officials emphasize the rarity of such incidents near Los Angeles, citing about 15 documented bites in the area since 1950 and just over 200 statewide.