Sacramento couple saves California man attacked by shark during vacation

A group of good Samaritans including a vacationing Folsom couple rallied together Wednesday to help rescue a man who was seriously injured in a Central California shark attack.

The unusual shark encounter happened about 10:35 a.m. at Lovers Point Beach, according to police in the town of Pacific Grove. Before officers arrived on the scene, however, the victim caught the attention of three beachgoers who retrieved him from the water.

Sutter Health nurse

Aimee Johns and her husband, Sacramento

Police officer Paul Bandy, were celebrating their 12th wedding anniversary with paddleboarding at the popular Monterey Bay cove when they heard screams for help and noticed a man in distress.

“We didn’t hesitate when we heard the calls for help,”

Johns said. “We knew that we just had to go in there and we didn’t know what we were encountering. It could be a shark actively still in the water — we didn’t know.”

Heath Braddock, a Monterey County resident teaching a surf lesson to a group of children on the beach, joined Johns and Bandy in their efforts, swimming out to the victim with a surfboard. The three rescuers then pulled the victim onto the board and brought him back to shore, Bandy explained, with

Johns getting in the water to propel the board from behind.

“As the victim’s bleeding, there’s a bloody pool, and

I’m thinking I could be the next shark-bite victim with my legs just kicking in the water like that,” Johns said. “I was terrified.”

The shark had bit the man in his abdomen and leg, police reported.

On the beach, the rescuers called authorities and began to administer first aid. Braddock described the wounds on the victim’s arms, legs and stomach as “the most severe wounds” he had ever seen on a person.

When emergency responders arrived at the beach, the man was transported to a hospital. Johns and Bandy said the victim successfully underwent surgery and regained consciousness.