How to Help Manhattan Beach's Shark Victim with His Medical Bills

Swimming friends of shark victim Steven Robles are coming to his aid, hoping to raise money for his medical bills after surviving a scary encounter with an agitated, hooked-on-a-fishing line, juvenile shark Sunday in Manhattan Beach.

Robles is part of a group of long distance swimmers who like to swim the two miles between the Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach piers, according to the Sponsor My Swim website.

Sponsor My Swim is a crowd-funding platform for aquatic athletes, but Robles' buddies are using it to help raise money for his medical expenses. Robles does not have health insurance and the bills are steep, according to the fundraising page.

So far, $1,960 of the needed $40,000 has been pledged.

Robles was swimming Saturday morning with his team when get got in the path of a juvenile shark, reportedly a great white, who had been fighting a fisherman's hook and line for at least a half-hour, according to reports. Fishing from the pier is now banned until Sept. 7. 

"Even with an obvious shark encounter and blood in the water, Robles’s teammates from [Southern California Aquatics] performed admirably," says the fundraising website. "They quickly came to his rescue. They were clearly thinking of their teammate; they put their friend first and foremost in their minds. They pulled him to shore after the traumatic Great White Shark attack in one of the most popular beaches of Southern California.

The page also goes into some detail about their disdain for the fishermen who would put their friend's life in jeopardy, but add that most of the time, the relationship between open-water swimmers and pier fishermen is respectful.

To help Robles with his medical expenses, go here.

See Patch's full coverage, including the story that broke the news first:

• UPDATED: Shark Attacks Swimmer Near Manhattan Beach Pier
• Were Fishermen Chumming the Waters Near Pier? Conflicting Answers
• Steven Robles: Encounter with Shark Not His First Time in Peril at Sea
• PETA Calls for Permanent Ban on Fishing from Manhattan Beach Pier
• Ban on Fishing from Manhattan Beach Pier Extended until Sept. 7