SAN LUIS OBISPO — A bodyboarder was attacked by an incredible white shark in central California on Christmas Eve and died inside minutes, official reviews 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 response to a coroner’s report, The Tribune of San Luis Obispo County reported Tuesday.
A bit of what seemed to be a shark’s tooth was discovered on his physique, the Tribune stated, citing a report by a sheriff’s detective that was amongst paperwork launched to the paper below a public information request.
The scale 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 response to 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 stated Butterfield died inside minutes.
A DNA pattern taken through the post-mortem confirmed that the accidents had been from an incredible white shark, in response to 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.