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Surfer Injured Off Mendocino Coast as Shark Bites Board in Half

State wildlife officials are analyzing DNA from recovered evidence to determine the species involved following a recent spike in Northern California encounters.

A surfer’s board was broken in half in a shark attack off the California coast.
The rugged southern Mendocino County coast near Schooner Gulch, just south of Point Arena, is viewed on April 6, 2014, near Gualala, Calif.
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Overview

  • The Jan. 13 bite occurred about 150 feet from shore north of the Gualala River, and the surfer reached land on his own before getting stitches for non-life-threatening thigh wounds.
  • Local reports identified the surfer as 26-year-old Tommy Civik of Point Arena, who described the impact as feeling like being hit by a car.
  • A witness told authorities the shark struck Civik, threw him into the air, and then swam off with half of his surfboard.
  • The California Department of Fish and Wildlife collected the torn wetsuit, damaged board, and wound swabs for DNA testing to confirm the shark species.
  • Officials note the case follows a recent cluster of Northern California incidents, with the state logging a record 10 shark encounters in 2025 and experts citing seasonal nearshore white shark activity.