SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - The 13-year-old boy attacked by a shark in Encinitas Saturday morning was released from Rady Children’s Hospital Thursday, a hospital spokesman said.
Keane Webre-Hayes suffered severe injuries to his back, torso, left arm, shoulder, and left the side of his face, according to Dr. Tim Fairbanks.
Keane was lobster diving with a friend amid a group of 30 to 40 swimmers when the shark attacked.
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"I come up for breath, on top of the water, looking down, I hear a guttural scream, 'help me, help me,'" said Wally Buckingham, who witnessed the attack.
Also at the beach was Escondido teacher Alan Ryan, who saw divers waving their flashlights. Ryan grabbed a tourniquet from his truck.
“I was holding his head and telling him things were okay… trying to keep him calm and talking to him,” Ryan said. “It was pretty emotional for all of us.”
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"We got blessed on Sunday. Very, very blessed and we know it,” said Keane’s mother, Ellie Hayes.
While experts are still trying to determine the type of shark that bit Keane, Marine Biologist Andrew Nosal believes it was a great white.
“The injuries that I saw were very severe,” said Scripps Institution of Oceanography Marine Biologist Andrew Nosal, “there’s really no other species in Southern California that could do that kind of damage except for a white shark.”
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The Shark Lab at Cal State Long Beach is testing Keane’s wetsuit for shark DNA which could prove what type of shark is involved.
A GoFundMe account was established for Keane and his family to help cover medical expenses. It has raised more than $35,000, exceeding the goal of $20,000.
