Surfer Reportedly Killed In Great White Shark Attack On Christmas Eve

An unidentified man was killed in a shark attack in Morro Bay on Friday on Christmas Eve. According to Morro Bay Harbor Director Eric Endersby, the body was found by a fellow surfer floating in the waves near The Pit area of Morro Strand north of the Rock, around 10:40 am PST, local time.

According to authorities, first responders were dispatched, on Friday morning, in response to a report of a victim that was unresponsive on the beach. A medical aid request was immediately sent out. The Harbor Patrol, Morro Bay Police Department and Fire Department rushed to the scene as well. A biologist with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife was also present at the scene.

"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 police stated that it was a great white shark attack with no possibility of resuscitation. The bite on the victim was consistent proof that a shark attacked the surfer. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, he has not been identified. San Luis Obispo County Coroner’s Office and California State Parks are still investigating the incident. No witnesses came forward regarding the surfer's death.

According to Endersby, the water will likely remain closed for days as the crew patrol the area to be on the lookout for the shark. A sign was also posted on the beach, warning people that the water near The Pit area was closed following the deadly attack.

It was three years ago since a shark attack was last confirmed in San Luis Obispo County. The most recent one happened in January 2019 when a shark attacked and injured a surfer at Montana de Oro. Meanwhile, the last reported fatal shark attack was on a woman, in San Luis Obispo County was in 2003.

According to data from the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida, there were 33 unprovoked shark attacks on humans in the United States last year, three were reported to be fatal.