Solorio's surfboard with bite mark
SBSO

Officials have reopened Surf Beach in northern Santa Barbara County after a surfer was killed offshore Tuesday morning.

Francisco Solorio Jr., 39, was bitten in the upper torso by what experts determined was a 15-foot great white shark. Despite his friend’s efforts to save him and the fast response of medical personnel from nearby Vandenberg Air Force Base, Solorio was declared dead at the scene.

The public Surf Beach was closed for 72 hours as were two other beaches restricted to base personnel. No shark sightings have been reported since Tuesday.

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