Despite 1,000 stitches from being attacked by a great white shark last month, Keane Hayes says he can’t wait to get back into the water. Keane was lobster diving off Beacon’s Beach in Encinitas when he was attacked by a great white shark. “When I was in the water, I was like, ‘It’s probably a big fish.’ My mind instantly went to ‘shark.’”
In prime teen fashion, even as he was being helped to shore by several lifeguards, swimmers and kayakers, Keane found the strength to ask his mom for one simple request: “Can you take pictures for Instagram?”
Keane suffered serious injuries to his back, torso, left arm, shoulder and left side of his face, doctors at Rady Children’s Hospital said. He was released from the hospital on Oct. 4.
On Oct. 13, during the California Wildlife Officers Foundation (CalWOF) “Wags & Waves” event held at Bali Hai restaurant, Keane was presented with a lifetime fishing license with special privileges.
After accepting the license, Keane told the audience, “For them to give me one for life means I can basically catch whatever lobster I want… I definitely love the beach and I definitely want to go out fishing a lot, and it’s really nice of them to give me the license.”
CalWOF held the event to honor wildlife officers who work with K-9 partners.