A surfer died 'from an apparent shark attack' at a California beach on Christmas Eve, officials say

• A surfer, who was attacked by a shark, died on Christmas Eve off Morro Bay State Park beach in California, authorities said.
• The victim was identified as a male believed to be in his 20s or 30s, KION-TV reported.

A surfer died after "suffering from an apparent shark attack" at a California beach on Christmas Eve, CNN reported.

The Morro Bay Harbor Department told the outlet that local authorities found the victim, identified as male, unresponsive off Morro Bay State Park beach.

The man, reportedly believed to be in his 20s or 30s, was first spotted by a female surfer who was able to pull him to shore before officials arrived just after 10:30 a.m, according to KION-TV. He was pronounced dead at the beach, the report said.

"The victim has not been identified and the San Luis Obispo County Coroner's Office with State Parks representatives are currently on scene investigating the incident," the department said in a statement.

The department warned beachgoers "to stay out the water for the next 24 hours" following the attack, according to the statement.

"It's a horrible accident," Harbor Director Eric Endersby told CNN. "Fortunately, the weather and wind has ruined the surf, so there are not many surfers, but we've closed the waters for safety."

As ABC News reported citing data, deadly shark attacks are a rare occurance, and out of 33 shark attacks reported last year, only three were fatal.