Friends Remember Santa Cruz Fatal Shark Attack Victim As Religious, Kind And Genuine

SANTA CRUZ (CBS SF) — Friends of the respected Santa Cruz area surfboard shaper and surf enthusiast who died after a shark attack Saturday afternoon remembered him as a kind, religious man who was passionate about the sport.

On Saturday afternoon, officials said, the 26-year-old Ben Kelly was out surfing in the waters off Manresa State Beach, about five miles west of Watsonville, when he was the victim of a shark attack.

He was brought back to the beach, but died a short time later of his injuries. Kelly was first fatal shark attack victim in Northern California since an abalone diver was killed near Kibeseliah Rock in Mendocino County in 2004.

A local photographer spotted about a dozen sharks in the water earlier in the day before the attack that killed Kelly.

At this point, it’s unclear what type of shark bit him.