Phoebe Beltran, 15, was attacked by a sea lion in Long Beach while trying out for a junior lifeguard cadet program. During the final stretch of a 1,000-yard swim about 25 feet from shore, she felt a sudden, intense pain in her right arm. The sea lion bit down, leaving her with cuts and bruises.

“I’ve been stung by a sting ray, pinched by crabs, bitten by tiny fish,” she said. “But a sea lion?” At first, she feared a shark was attacking her. “Please don’t bite my arm off. Please don’t kill me. Please don’t let me regret trying out,” she remembered thinking.

Phoebe said she briefly went underwater and saw a shadow, too afraid to fully turn toward it. “I’m screaming this way as it’s biting me over here, and it finally let go.” She swam to shore, where lifeguards and her mother rushed to help. She was taken to the ER and has since returned to school, though still shaken.

Long Beach Fire Department’s Gonzalo Medina said he hadn’t heard of anything like this in 25 years. While sea lions are frequently seen in the area, attacks remain rare. Some sea lions sickened by toxic algae blooms have shown aggressive behavior, though it’s unclear if that played a role in this incident. The sea lion swam away and hasn’t been seen since.

Despite the scare, Phoebe said she plans to get back in the water and complete her tryout.