A surfer is speaking out after surviving a terrifying close call with a shark in California. Jens Heller was in the water at Montara State Beach when he suddenly felt something beneath the surface, according to ABC affiliate KGO, the San Francisco Chronicle and NBC affiliate KNTV.

Luckily for one California surfer, a shark swimming in San Mateo County waters over the weekend managed to get only a sample of his surfboard. Jens Heller was about 100 yards offshore at Montara State Beach sitting on his board Saturday when the shark attacked, according to reporting from the San Francisco Chronicle.

A surfer's board was bitten by a shark at Montara State Beach outside San Francisco, leading to a temporary closure of the park. But scientists say these encounters are relatively rare, with only 47 unprovoked shark encounters worldwide in the last year.