Shark attack: beach near Lompoc where surfer died to be reopened
Beaches near Lompoc where a surfer died after being attacked by a shark will be reopened Friday morning, officials said.
The beaches at Vanderberg Air Force Base had been closed since Tuesday after 39-year-old Francisco Javier Solorio suffered a massive wound to the torso after being bitten by an apparent great white shark at Surf Beach. The beaches will be reopened at 8 a.m.
Solorio was an avid surfer who had frequented the spot since he was a boy and was riding his short board in small waves when he was attacked. He is survived by his wife and their young daughter.
Like other beaches in the area, the spot is fringed by sand dunes and is known for cold waters and a strong undertow. More people go north to Pismo Beach or south to Santa Barbara for swimming and surfing.
The day before Solorio's death, the family of Lucas Ransom gathered at Surf Beach in his memory. He was killed by a shark on Oct. 22, 2010.
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— Robert J. Lopez
Photo: Surf Beach, as seen on Tuesday. Credit: Associated Press/Leah Thompson/The Santa Maria Times
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