A 20-year-old UCSB student was killed today when he was attacked by a shark while body boarding off Surf Beach at Vandenberg Air Force Base.
The victim, an Orange County man whose identity was not released pending notification of relatives, was in the water with a friend between 9 and 9:30 a.m. when a shark bit his leg off, according to Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown.
The friend, who was surfing on a regular surf board, brought the victim to shore, but the victim's injuries were severe and he bled to death, Brown said.
Surf, Wall and Minuteman beaches have been closed for a minimum of 72 hours, according to Lt. Ann Blodzinski, the public affairs officer for the base.
Surf Beach, which is west of Lompoc on Vandenberg Air Force Base property, is the closest publicly accessible beach for Lompoc Valley residents. It is also easily accessed from a nearby Amtrak station that serves the area.
In September 2008, a shark bit a surfer's board at Surf Beach and base officials issued a 48-hour warning to beach users.
Base officials said at the time that they believed it was the first shark incident off Vandenberg and sought recommendations from other coastal parks about their policies for beach closures.
Jalama Beach, a county site just south of the base, has no restrictions beyond the normal signs warning of hazardous surf and dangerous conditions, officials said this morning.
Santa Maria Times
