SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department says a sea lion attacked a man as he was swimming in the area of La Jolla Children's Pool Monday morning.
The incident happened around 11:40 a.m., when lifeguards were helping the San Diego Police Department with a separate incident. A police officer heard someone yelling for help. According to SDFD, first responders initially thought the noise may have been a sea lion; however, lifeguards heard a second call for help and started to respond.
Lifeguards determined that a free diver had an encounter with a sea lion, the department says.
ABC 10News found and spoke to the man, Thomas Henman, who had the encounter with the sea lion. Henman told us he was spearfishing about 200 yards out in the water when he was attacked.
He had a large California sheep's head fish on his back, and he believes that's why the sea lion bit at him, knocking off the GoPro on his forehead. His mask and contacts fell off in the process, too. Since he couldn't see, he waved down some lifeguards.
Henman was unharmed in this encounter, and he declined to go to the hospital when the lifeguards examined him at the nearby boat launch.
He then got a new mask so he could return to the water to retrieve his spearfishing gun.
The intermingling of sea lions and people has been a hot topic in La Jolla for years; in 2023, the San Diego City Council voted to close the Point La Jolla bluffs year-round to protect the mammals. That area is between the Children's Pool and La Jolla Cove.
It's currently harbor seal pupping season, so the Children's Pool Beach is closed to public access at this time. That season takes place from Dec. 15 to May 15.
ABC 10News has previously reported on the city's effort to warn people to keep their distance from the animals. The Sierra Club Seal Society recommends staying at least 50 feet away from them.
The La Jolla Parks and Beaches group has suggested moving sea lions about 50 yards west of La Jolla Cove into the area that's already off-limits to people.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- City warning beach crowds to keep distance from sea lions
- Who is responsible for keeping tourists away from wild sea lions?
- Sea lion rushes towards beachgoers at La Jolla Cove
- Calls for sea lion management plan grow after pups found dead
EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this story indicated the sea lion had bitten the spearfisherman. That was the information lifeguards had relayed to our newsroom at the time. Our reporter spoke to the spearfisherman and clarified the details of the encounter.
