ENCINITAS (NEWS 8) – The 13-year-old who was bitten by a shark on Saturday in Encinitas while diving for lobsters is expected to make a full recovery, according to family and medical staff at Rady Children's Hospital.
The teenager was identified by his family as Keane Webre Hayes.
Keane's mother, Ellie Hayes, described her family as "blessed" in light of her son's good prognosis for a full recovery. She praised his positive attitude in the aftermath of the traumatic experience, calling him "very brave, very strong."
"He's a warrior," she told reporters during Monday's hospital news conference.
Referring to Keane's efforts to quickly get out of the ocean immediately following the attack, his mother said, "I didn't know he was that good a swimmer."
She also extended thanks to the good Samaritans who came to her son's aid at the beach. "We really do believe they saved his life," she said.
Physician Tim Fairbanks, chief of pediatric and trauma surgery at Children's Hospital, said the teen "did well in the operating room" while undergoing surgery for a "very large injury."
The wound stretched over the left side of Keane's body and head, from his upper back and torso to his arm and the side of his face, according to Fairbanks.
"Keane wants you to know that he has all his limbs, and he is going to be going home fully intact," the doctor said.
On Saturday, Keane was lobster diving when he was attacked by an eleven-foot shark.
"This is the first time in my career of 30 years that I have seen an attack,” said Encinitas Lifeguard Captain Larry Giles. "We're actively having guards coming down onto the beach and into the water to let people know that we had a non-fatal shark attack and we're advising them to stay out of the water.”
Capt. Giles was scuba diving in the water nearby when the shark attacked.
“He's swimming towards us and [there’s] probably 10 feet of blood behind him,” said Chad Hammel. “He's in a panic and flops on my kayak and his whole clavicle and back is exposed, blood coming out, filling up the kayak.”
Hammel was along with an off-duty Oceanside police officer and off-duty state park lifeguard helped get the teen safely to shore.
"Sure enough, I look back and the shark is following,” said Hammel.
On Monday, an absence of shark sightings in the area following the weekend attack led the city to allow the public back onto the stretch of Encinitas shoreline, beginning at 7 a.m. Lifeguards and police will continue running extra precautionary patrols at the beach off Neptune Avenue by ground and air throughout the week, according to city officials.
A GoFundMe.com donation page set up by the teen's family to help them with medical expenses had raised more than $25,000 as of early this afternoon.
A marine biologist from Cal State Long Beach is working to identify the type of shark that attacked the youth, city officials reported.
The beach where Keane was attacked by a shark over the weekend was reopened Monday, but people were seen in the ocean before the closure was lifted - leading some to question why officials close a beach. News 8's shannon Handy spoke with lifeguards about why it's important.
Press Conference: Mother of Encinitas shark attack victim gives update on teen's condition:
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