Deadly Morro Bay Shark Attack
On Christmas Eve, a great white shark killed a boogie-boarder in an area known as “the Pit” north of Morro Rock.
Tomas Butterfield, age 42, was visiting his mother in Morro Bay for the holiday and went to the beach alone on Christmas Eve morning. Another surfer saw the bodyboard in the water and went to investigate. The woman realized that the board was attached to a body underwater and pulled it to the beach.
“It’s a terrible loss, at 42, with him getting his stuff together and starting to make something of himself”
Our hearts go out to the Butterfield family. Please keep them in your thoughts.
This event has left the surf community in a state of shock. This is believed to be the first fatal shark attack in San Luis Obispo County in 18 years.
After this occurred, the Morro Bay Harbor Patrol shut the beach down while it searched for the shark. The water near Morro Rock reopened the next day. However, many local surfers were hesitant to get back in the water.
“My answer is always, ‘It’s never safe or unsafe; it is what it is.’ It’s just the wilderness, and you have to be aware there are dangers. It’s just like the mountains — there are bears and mountain lions. There are snakes in the foothills.”
A key safety tip for boarders is to avoid getting into the water after storms, when the water tends to be murkier, making it harder for sharks to see people and for people to see sharks.
Another way to stay safe is to go into the ocean with at least one other person or in larger numbers when the beach is busy.
In California, there have been only 18 instances of someone dying from a shark attack since the 1800s, according to reporting by The Tribune. It is more likely for you to get into a car crash than it is for you to be in a shark attack so rest assured you shouldn’t be worried. It’s important however to follow safety tips just in case.
Stay safe Santa Barbara.