A 31-year-old male surfer has been confirmed dead following a suspected shark attack near State Parks Beach in Morro Bay, California on Christmas Eve.
Harbor, Police and Fire departments were called to the scene following a report that a male had been found unresponsive on the beach around 11am Friday. He was pulled from the water following the apparent shark attack, CNN reported. (RELATED: ‘It’s Pretty Unprecedented’: Surfer Killed In Shark Attack, Beaches Closed)
The male victim was pronounced dead at the scene, according to CNN.
“At this time the victim has not been identified and San Luis Obispo County Coroners Office with State Parks representatives are currently on scene investigating the incident,” said the Morro Bay Police Department in a statement on Facebook.
The authorities have advised beach goers in the area to avoid entering the water for at least 24 hours while the investigation continues.
A shark attack on Christmas Eve leads to a rare fatality in San Luis Obispo County.
Shark kills 31-year-old man near Morro Bay; all swimmers ordered to leave water https://t.co/zP0K78eZXM
— Andrew J. Campa (@campadrenews) December 25, 2021
“Fortunately, the weather and wind has ruined the surf, so there are not many surfers, but we’ve closed the waters for safety,” Harbor Director Eric Endersby told CNN.
A female surfer allegedly saw a boogie board and someone face down who she helped bring onto shore. However, as far as the Habor department is concerned, there were no witnesses of the fatal shark attack, Endersby told ABC News.
The shark bite, which will be measured by the coroners office, appears consistent with that of a great white shark.
Unprovoked shark attacks are extremely rare, with only 57 events in 2020, 10 of which were fatal.