SOLANA BEACH A swimmer was killed Friday morning after a shark attack off Fletcher Cove, officials said.
Sheriff's deputies said they were called at 7:20 a.m. to aid the man. A helicopter initially was sent to take the man to a hospital, but he was pronounced dead on the beach.
The swimmer, who was believed to be in his 50s, was attacked as he was swimming about 150 yards offshore, lifeguard officials said.
The man was swimming with a group of about 10 other swimmers, heading north from Fletcher Cove, when the attack occurred. The group regularly swims at the cove.
Witnesses told lifeguards that a big gray shark attacked the man, biting both his legs, said Craig Miller, a Solana Beach lifeguard.
I can't remember a shark ever being in this area before, Miller said.
The other swimmers said the man yelled and they came to his aid and saw he was being attacked by the shark, Miller said. The group swam to shore and alerted lifeguards.
Lifeguards closed beaches in Solana Beach and Encinitas after the attack.
So far, however, no San Diego beaches have been closed, San Diego lifeguard Lt. Nick Lerma said. It happened a significant distance from us, so we're sort of status quo, Lerma said.
Encinitas Fire Chief Scott Henry said lifeguards were posting signs at beaches and telling people to get out of the water.
The swimmers who were with the victim were taken to another location to be debriefed, said Solana Beach Deputy Fire Chief Dismas Abelman.
They are pretty traumatized right now, Miller said.
