Surfer killed in California shark attack on Christmas Eve

A 31-year-old male surfer was killed in a shark attack in California on Friday.

Eric Endersby, the harbor director for the city of Morro Bay, confirmed to The Hill on Saturday that the man, whose identity has not been released, was located by officials at 10:48 a.m. Pacific time off the Morro Bay State Park beach, which is just north of Morro Rock. The park is located north of Santa Barbara.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Multiple reports say the man was on a boogie board at the time of the incident.

Endersby said a citizen Samaritan discovered the male surfer face down in the water and worked to bring him on shore. Officers with the city of Morro Bay then assisted when they arrived at the scene.

"Harbor, Police and Fire Departments responded to a report of a male victim unresponsive on the beach after he was pulled from the water suffering from an apparent shark attack," the Morro Bay Police Department wrote in a statement.

Endersby told ABC News that the bite, which was examined by a coroner, appeared to be in line with one from a great white shark, according to what officers who responded to the incident saw.

Waters in the jurisdiction were closed for 24 hours following the incident. Endersby noted, however, that the weather and winds have not been ideal for surfing, so a small number of surfers would have been in the water anyway.

Endersby said he believes the victim has been identified and that the county has notified his next of kin, but a name has not yet been released.

Endersby said the situation was "a terrible thing to happen on any day" and extended condolences to the family of the victim.

He also said surfers appear to be showing caution following the fatal incident. He spoke to The Hill from the beach on Saturday morning, when "hardcore surfers" would normally be in the water, but said nobody was there.

"People will enjoy the view today" instead of going in the water, Endersby said.

Friday's shark attack appears to be the first fatal shark attack in the U.S. this year, The New York Times reported, citing an incident log maintained by the Global Shark Attack File. The group traces information on contacts between humans and sharks.

According to the International Shark Attack File, three people died from shark bites last year.