SURF BEACH, Calif. (Oct. 22) — A surfer off the Santa Barbara coast was bitten by a shark today and has died, a fire department official said.
“We had a 20-year-old male that was surfing at Surf Beach, which is in the Lompoc area, was attacked by a shark and died as a result of his injuries,” said Capt. David Sadecki of the Santa Barbara County Fire Department. “Currently there is a minimum of a 72-hour closure of the beach.”
Three Santa Barbara County beaches were closed after the attack.
ABC affiliate KEYT-TV is reporting that the shark bit the leg off the surfer and he bled to death. The coroner’s office is on the scene.
Full Story: Surfer Bleeds to Death After Shark Attack off Coast of Santa Barbara, California