The state park officials said on Saturday, May 9, a man was killed during a shark attack in a beach in California. The victim's name was not released by the officials.
The 26-year-old man was surfing off Manresa State Beach on the northern end of Monterey Bay around 1.30 pm local time. The California State Park said in a statement that the man was attacked by an unknown species of sharks. The Santa Cruz sheriff's deputies have notified the unknown man's family.
The Manresa Beach is fully closed off between 11 AM to 5 PM due to the coronavirus pandemic. During the normal hours, the local residents visiting the beach are not permitted to sunbathe and has to keep moving without overcrowding the beach. Due to the attack, signs have been posted to warn the beachgoers and the stretch of the beach one mile to the north and south has been closed off.
Sharks are commonly seen in the area
The state expressed its sympathy to the deceased man's family. Even though it is unclear which species attacked the man there have been reports of great white sharks being seen in the region. According to the local news, the number of sharks in the region is increasing.
According to KRON4 the local drone photographer Eric Mailander said that he counted around 15 sharks in the region on Saturday morning. On the previous day, another photographer had also seen sharks swimming near the beach.
The attack on Saturday is one of the most fatal attacks since 1984 in Northern California. Another attack recorded in 1985 said that a man was attacked in the pigeon point by a 16-foot great white shark. The two attacks involved divers. Since last year there has been a rise in the number of attacks on the beaches in the United States. According to data, in 2018 there were around 32 attacks reported while in 2019 there were 41 attacks.
