A heatwave caused people across Southern California to flee to local beaches Saturday, but a shark sighting caused some visitors to flee.
No one was injured, though members of the United States Coast Guard spotted eight sharks from a helicopter at about 3:15 p.m., according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office.
After being notified by the Coast Guard, county law enforcement notified all of their parks and beaches about the spotting. However, the Carpinteria Beach was not closed.
There has been only one "non-injury" shark contact in California since the start of 2020, according to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. The record, which does not include non-contact sightings, notes that attacks are rare ― there have been only 13 killings by sharks in California since 1950.
