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SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A 13-year-old boy seriously injured in a shark attack off the San Diego coast in September was given a lifetime fishing license during a weekend event.
Keane Hayes was lobster diving on Sept. 29 in the waters off Beacon’s Beach in Encinitas when he was attacked by a great white shark.
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.
Nancy Foley, chairwoman of CalWOF, said, “The purpose of the event is to showcase how invaluable California Wildlife Officers are in protecting the state’s diverse wildlife and natural resources that covers over 1,100 miles of diverse terrain and extends 200 miles from our coastline. This special group of dedicated men, women and their four-legged partners are generally unrecognized for their work, and we want to spotlight and support their efforts.”
Foley added, “Keane and his family were gracious guests of our event and we were so pleased to honor him and his bravery and even encourage him to consider a career as a wildlife officer.”
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