Surfer injured by shark off North Salmon Creek in Sonoma County

Frigid ocean water off Sonoma County wasn’t the only thing sending a chill down the spine of a surfer riding the waves on Friday.

- BY GAVIN J. QUINTON

The surfer was paddling in the water off North Salmon Creek, roughly 300 yards from shore, about 8 a.m. when a shark bit his hand. The surfer’s injuries were not considered life-threatening, according to the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office.

The Sonoma County Sheriff's Marine Unit already had personnel nearby, who quickly located the surfer on shore after he exited the water on his own. Medics treated the man’s wound, but the surfer declined an ambulance ride, sheriff's officials said, choosing instead to drive himself to a nearby hospital.

“I'm really glad I didn’t paddle out,” fellow surfer Alex Valentin told the SF Standard on Friday. “I'm praying for the guy, hoping it was just a nibble and he’s back in the water soon.”