A shark attacked and killed a man swimming in the waters off Solana Beach in San Diego County on Friday morning. The man, believed to be between 55-60 years old, was apparently training with others for a triathlon and was attacked around 7 a.m. The victim was pulled out of the water but was pronounced dead at the scene. The attack occurred 150 yards offshore around the Tide Beach/Fletcher Cove area of Solana Beach. Authorities ordered a 17-mile stretch of the San Diego County coastline closed to swimmers and a Coast Guard helicopter was dispatched to try and locate the shark.

According to reports to the Union-Tribune website, 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.

Read more about today's shark attack on the San Diego Union-Tribune website.