A man was reportedly bitten by a shark while swimming a popular route for long-distance swimmers between Catalina Island and the coast of Orange County early Tuesday morning.

The 54-year-old was about 8 miles off the coast of popular tourist destination Catalina Island as part of a swimming competition when he was bitten by the shark around 1:30 a.m., according to Lyndsey Lantz, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department.

After being bitten, the man was transferred to a boat and LAFD was alerted.

“He was transferred to one of our local fire stations by Los Angeles County Fire and we took him to a local hospital in fair condition,” Lantz told SFGATE. She said the man was conscious and alert when he was taken for treatment.

According to KTLA-TV, the man was bitten on his leg an

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