The above harrowing video documents the whole incident including the fisherman who provoked the attack.

A known feeding ground for juvenile Great Whites (which over the past couple of years has gained substantial media coverage due to Stand Up Paddle surfers filming them), Manhattan Beach played host to the latest Great White shark attack last weekend in California.

With many recreational beach-goers flocking to the coast for the 4th of July, a fisherman is reported to have been reeling in a 7-foot juvenile Great White for 45 minutes from the Manhattan Beach Pier when, fighting for his life, the shark attacked a group of passing long-distance swimmers, biting one 40-year-old man on the torso.

Fortunately a nearby Stand Up paddle surfer was quickly able to recover the victim and paddle him back to shore before being taken to hospital.

Beaches to the south and north of the pier were subsequently closed while a helicopter crew relocated the shark north of the pier and lifeguard boats were able to guide the shark out into deeper water.

It’s widely known that juvenile Great Whites don’t usually attack human-sized prey, hence why surfers are usually happy to share the lineup with them. It’s only once Great Whites reach 10-12 feet that they begin to prey on larger marine mammals. In this instance, however, it appears the circumstances provoked the juvenile shark to attack the swimmer.

While white sharks remain a protected species in California, it’s not known whether the fisherman was charged for breaching the law. We imagine the victim will want to see him in court or at least find out why the fisherman didn’t cut the line earlier rather than drag the shark straight through the pack of swimmers.

Want to read more on the world’s sharkiest surf zones? Hit the link for our full feature.