Dec. 25 (UPI) — Police in California’s central coast said a surfer has died after he was attacked by a great white shark.
The body of a male surfer was found in the water off Morro Bay State Park, located about 225 miles north of Los Angeles, on Friday, police said in a statement.
The victim, who was not immediately identified, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The San Luis Obispo County corner’s office and California State Parks officials are investigating the death.
Beachgoers were told to stay out of the water for 24 hours following the attack.
The man’s body was found by a fellow surfer floating in the waves, Morro Bay Harbor Director Eric Endersby told the San Luis Obispo Tribune.
“As we were arriving, there was a female surfer in the water that was assisting the victim that apparently saw him little distance away from where she was, face down in the water,” Endersby said.
The attack appeared to have happened shortly before the body was discovered, he added.
Friday’s was the first fatal shark attack in San Luis Obispo County in 18 years, according to the Tribune.
