Great white shark killed California bodyboarder

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (AP) — A bodyboarder was attacked by an excellent white shark in central California on Christmas Eve and died inside minutes, official stories have concluded.

Tomas Abraham Butterfield, 42, was bitten within the head, chest and shoulder within the Morro Bay assault and died from “problems of a number of penetrating blunt drive traumatic accidents,” in line with a coroner’s report, The Tribune of San Luis Obispo County reported Tuesday.

A chunk of what gave the impression to be a shark’s tooth was discovered on his physique, the Tribune mentioned, citing a report by a sheriff’s detective that was amongst paperwork launched to the paper below a public data request.

The dimensions or age of the shark wasn’t estimated, however the radius of 1 chunk mark was as giant as 16 inches (40.64 centimeters), in line with the detective’s report.

Butterfield was attacked on Dec. 24 whereas bodyboarding simply north of Morro Rock. The Sacramento man had been visiting his mom and brother for the vacations.

Butterfield was pulled from the waves after a surfer noticed him face down within the water, nonetheless tethered to his bodyboard. He died on the scene.

Within the coroner’s report, a pathologist famous that Butterfield had a fractured cranium, crushed ribs and different accidents, together with to the inferior vena cava, a big vein that carries blood from the torso and decrease physique to the guts.

Dr. Joye Carter mentioned Butterfield died inside minutes.

A DNA pattern taken throughout the post-mortem confirmed that the accidents had been from an excellent white shark, in line with Mike Harris of California Division of Fish and Wildlife, which assisted within the investigation.

It wasn’t clear whether or not the shark attacked simply as soon as or made a number of lunges.

Morro Bay is about 200 miles (320 kilometers) north of Los Angeles.