Teen girl attacked by sea lion in Long Beach thought she was encountering a shark
A 15-year-old girl was attacked by a sea lion on a Southern Californian beach but mistook it for a shark.
Phoebe Beltran was due to take a swim test for Long Beach 's cadet lifeguard program on Sunday when the attack happened in front of an Ocean Boulevard lifeguard tower.
'Out of nowhere, I feel something biting my arm,' Beltran teen told KTLA. 'I saw a shadow of it, and all I'm thinking is, 'Please, don't be a shark. Please, don't take off my arm, and please, don't kill me.''
The teen was instead met with a hostile sea lion, a marine animal that can weigh up to 700 pounds and measure up to six feet.
Phoebe was left with multiple bites, scratches on her arm and hand, swelling, and bruising, but did not suffer serious injuries.
She was swiftly taken to the emergency room after lifeguards rescued the teen as fast as possible.
The attack comes as toxic algae blooms are poisoning sea lions on the Southern Californian coast, according to marine scientists. This makes them more aggressive and potentially dangerous to humans.
Changes in their behavior are thought to be caused by poisoning from domoic acid produced by the blooms, which contributes to seizures and health issues in sea lions.
The teen's mother was also distraught as she thought there was a shark.
'I saw something come up, like a fin, and somebody yelled, 'Shark'... We all rushed to the water, and when I realized it was my daughter, that's when I broke down,' Bibi Beltran said.
'She could've been pulled under. I thought the worst,' she told KTLA.
Despite the terrifying experience, Phoebe is looking forward to taking the lifeguard cadet test once she has recovered.
'I love the beach. I love the ocean. I love swimming,' she said.
Beachgoers are advised to alert the closest lifeguard and call 1-800-39-WHALE to report a stranded or sick marine mammal.
Anyone encountering a sea lion anywhere is advised to avoid eye contact and back away slowly.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
27-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Phoebe Bishop's cryptic final post deepens mystery of missing teenager
The 17-year-old was last seen on May 15, when her housemates drove her to Bundaberg Airport in Queensland, Australia, to catch a flight to visit her boyfriend after she had spent months saving up. A cryptic final post shared on social media by missing teenager Phoebe Bishop has deepened the mystery surrounding her disappearance. The 17-year-old was last seen on the morning of May 15, when her housemates, Tanika Bromley and her partner James Wood, reportedly drove her to Bundaberg Airport in Queensland, Australia. She was supposed to catch a flight to Brisbane, and then to Perth, to see her boyfriend after saving up for months to pay for a ticket to visit him. But she never boarded her flight, and her disappearance nearly two weeks ago has since taken a disturbing turn. Phoebe's mother, Kylie Johnson, says the vanishing is completely out of character for her daughter. 'Each day it's getting harder to breathe,' she said. 'We would do anything just to hear your voice, to have you curl up in my lap and hold you tight.' In a final TikTok post two days before she disappeared, Phoebe participated in the "coffee with my younger self" trend, which is usually reflective and heartwarming. But her version was troubling. 'She sat down after giving every person in the café a dirty look … I walked in greeting everyone with a smile and being greeted by one. She didn't speak, she could barley [sic] look me in the eyes. Her responses were short and so was her temper. "I asked, 'Are you okay?' and she replied, 'Like you care.' I said, 'I am you,' and she stopped and stared. She started to bawl, as she quickly jumped across the table into my arms.' She ended the post saying she was focused on 'finding herself.' Earlier posts paint a similar picture of emotional distress. In March, Phoebe wrote, 'I'm not built for this town, these aren't my people.' In another, she said she was 'losing sleep and losing peace of mind.' The cryptic messages are now central to the investigation, as police search for clues about her mental state and possible plans leading up to her disappearance. Despite being dropped off near the airport terminal, Phoebe never checked in and was bizarrely not captured by any security cameras. Since May 15, there have been no transactions on her bank accounts, no phone activity, and no social media usage. Authorities have expanded the search to the Good Night Scrub National Park, using helicopters, police dogs, and ground crews to scour bushland and waterways. Detective Acting Inspector Ryan Thompson stated, 'People don't vanish. Someone knows something. We're urging anyone with information to contact police immediately.' When officers visited the house in Gin Gin, where Phoebe had been living, they encountered a disturbing scene: four dead dogs and piles of rubbish throughout the property. The home has since been declared a crime scene, along with the grey Hyundai ix35 believed to have transported Phoebe to the airport. In a further twist, housemate Tanika Bromley was found to be facing unrelated weapons charges, including possession of a sawn-off shotgun and a flick knife in public. Police have stressed that no charges have been laid in connection with Phoebe's disappearance, and there is no suggestion at this stage that her housemates were involved. Authorities are now appealing for dashcam and CCTV footage that may show the Hyundai ix35's movements that day. They are also asking residents and travellers in the area to report any sightings, no matter how minor. Detective Thompson reiterated, 'We're still piecing together her movements on that day. Phoebe is a lovely, relatable young woman, and we are doing everything we can to bring her home. We never give up hope.'
Daily Mirror
26-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Leaked text messages from missing teen's friend shed new light on disappearance
Australian teen Phoebe Bishop, 17, vanished while she was on her way to meet her boyfriend in a different city, with new texts shedding light on the situation following her disappearance Leaked text messages from the friend of missing Phoebe Bishop have emerged, throwing a new twist into the case of the vanished teen. Phoebe, 17, was last spotted leaving a rundown home in Bundaberg, Queensland, at about 8am on May 15. She had been staying with couple Tanika Bomley and James Wood at the time of her disappearance. She had been due to board a flight to Brisbane and then continue on to Peth, Western Australia where she had planned to meet her boyfriend. Police in Queensland believe the couple had driven 40 minutes to Bundaberg Airport in Bromley's 2011 silver Hyundai ix35 hatchback with the registration number 414-EW3. The car has since been declared a crime scene along with Gin Gin house, according to MailOnline. Private messages obtained by the outlet showed what Mr Wood sent after the teen went missing. "Hey hey how are you," a concerned friend messaged at 9:45pm on May 16. Mr Wood replied at 6:18am on May 17: "Yeah been better ayy darlz how bout you?" "That's not good, any word on Phoebe at all?" the friend went on to ask. "No, nothing atm, but we are just printing up more flyers to go around and stick up every where a keep searching an hope she makes contact with someone ayy," Wood replied. The concerned friend said their fingers were "crossed for her" before quizzing about whether any CCTV could shed any more information about her disappearance. "Surely the airport has footage," they asked. Mr Wood replied the following morning: "I don't know ayy but how's this cause I was one of the last people to see her alive cops basically asked me if I did her in or hurt her at all ayy." He went on to say he felt frustrated about questions that were asked by police. "I was like WTF, so yeah that's nice to know that purely because I'm a male and look the way I do," he continued. Mr Wood went on to offer a reward for anyone that could reveal any information about Phoebe's whereabouts. Queensland Police have since charged Phoebe's flatmate Bromley with unrelated weapons offences. Officers found a shortened firearm and ammunition as well as two replica handguns when they searched the Hyundai. Bromley faces two counts of possessing explosives without authority as well as one count each of possessing restricted items and unlawful possession of weapons. It is not clear why Phoebe had been living at Gin Gin house with some of her last messages posted to social media indicating she had a falling out with her mum and would not return. The property was covered in rubbish and a dilapidated bus. MailOnline reported there was a stench of decay coming from the property with witnesses claiming it could be due to dead dogs that were reportedly found at the site.
Daily Mirror
26-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Missing teen's brother asks heartbreaking question as hunt for sister continues
Aussie teenager Phoebe Bishop, 17, vanished after being dropped off at an Airport in Queensland for a flight to Brisbane then Perth to meet her boyfriend - but she never arrived The mum of missing Aussie teenager Phoebe Bishop has shared a tragic question she was asked by her young son as the hunt for the teenager continues. Phoebe, 17, vanished after being dropped at Bundaberg Airport in Queensland on May 15. The teen had been living in Gin Gin with couple Tanika Bromley and James Wood, who officers believe drove her to the airport that morning for a scheduled 8.30am flight to Brisbane. She was then expected to travel on to Perth to meet her boyfriend, but never arrived. Detectives have since declared two locations as crime scenes - the Gin Gin residence where she was staying, and a silver Hyundai ix35 believed to have been used to take her to the airport. Over the weekend, police teams, including cadaver dogs, searched dense terrain in Good Night Scrub National Park - approximately an hour from where she was last seen. In a heartbreaking message shared on Facebook, Phoebe's mum Kylie Johnson said life was living a "heavy hell" with the case also heavily impacting her son - who was left asking why his sister won't return his calls. "Not knowing what to say, what to do or even how to continue to live in this cyclone of uncertainty," she wrote. "The tears come, the anger and frustrations come and most of all our hearts are shattering more and more each day. Your little man/brother asked yesterday 'Why won't Phee take our calls? She always takes our calls!' Mate I wish I knew but we have to believe that the police and the lights that our amazing community are leaving on will going to bring her home to us." Phoebe's last posts on social media suggests she may have fallen out with her mum before moving in with Ms Bromley and Mr Wood - who were both questioned by police before being released without charge. CCTV footage surfaced online appearing to show a silver Hyundai ix35 - matching the vehicle linked to Phoebe's disappearance - driving through Gin Gin's backstreets at 10.30am on May 15, around two hours after she was reportedly dropped off at Bundaberg Airport. By Friday night, Queensland Police revealed they had located an item of possible significance within Good Night Scrub National Park. Detective Acting Inspector Ryan Thompson confirmed a police dive team had scoured a creek in the area. "Police have subsequently been conducting some searches of the Good Night Scrub National Park in the hopes of finding some evidence in relation to her disappearance," he said. "There are no specific persons of interest, however, police are following up all avenues of enquiry." Officers did not specify whether or not the item found was linked to Phoebe The following day, police expanded their search, launching a comprehensive land, water, and aerial operation across the rugged terrain of the park. The Queensland State Emergency Service joined the effort, while police divers continued to scour local waterways. Investigators are focused on mapping the movements of the Hyundai around the time Phoebe went missing. "Police are trying to nail down the timeline to where this vehicle has gone," detective acting inspector Thompson said. "We do have associates that are assisting police with our inquiries at the moment, and this is why we're trying to narrow down that timeline in relation to where Phoebe could be," he said. Phoebe, who was traveling with luggage, was last seen wearing a green tank top and grey tracksuit pants. Earlier searches around Bundaberg Airport and nearby areas turned up none of her belongings.
