GRAPHIC: Swimmer says he was bitten by ‘the meanest sea lion I’ve ever seen’

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - A California man is recovering after he says he was bitten and scratched by a sea lion while swimming in the ocean. Another woman believes she was bitten by the same sea lion.

Matt Beatty, 61, was halfway done with his daily ocean swim Friday night at San Diego's Mission Beach when he felt a bite on his leg. He says he punched the animal, thinking it was a shark, but he soon realized it was a sea lion.

"This was the meanest sea lion I've ever seen," Beatty said. "I have a massive tooth bite. It got me with its claws several times, and I was able to hit back with my fins, which I fortunately was wearing."

He struggled with the 6-foot-long sea lion for about five minutes before a nearby boogie boarder and lifeguards rescued him. He was then taken to the hospital.

Beatty says he was just swimming, and he has no idea why the sea lion came at him.

"This animal approached me for no reason at all that I can discern. There was no sign of a pup or other sea lions. It was just a random attack," he said.

Now, Beatty is hoping he can heal quickly, and when he gets back in the water, he can avoid that particular sea lion.

"Yes, I'm just worried about that one sea lion. I could recognize that sea lion in a lineup," he said.

Jessica Linares believes she was bitten by the same sea lion earlier in the day while snorkeling with a friend near Mission Point Park. Even though she was wearing a wetsuit, she says she needed five stitches in her thigh.

Like Beatty, she says she has no idea why the sea lion bit her.