A 66-year-old man was attacked and killed by a shark in the ocean near San Diego yesterday.
The victim, identified as retired veterinarian David Martin, was swimming with a group of triathletes about 137m off Solana Beach north of San Diego when he was attacked by what experts said was probably a Great White Shark.
Solana Beach Deputy Fire Chief Dismas Abelman said rescue crews found Mr Martin being dragged from the sea by other swimmers, bleeding profusely from injuries to his legs.
He was treated at the scene but was pronounced dead before an air ambulance could get him to a hospital.
A 13km stretch of beach was closed to swimmers for 72 hours while Coast Guard helicopters looked for the shark.
Mr Abelman said it would not necessarily be killed if it were found but, ‘We want to know where it is.’
Authorities have not determined what species was involved, but experts said that given the size and severity of Martin's injuries it was almost certainly an adult Great White.
