Los Angeles ( CNN ) -- A great white shark was responsible for killing a surfer in Southern California this week , authorities said Wednesday . Officials released a photo showing marks from the shark 's teeth on the bottom of a surf board . `` The shark in this tragic incident has been positively identified as a 15- to 16-foot great white shark , '' the Santa Barbara Sheriff 's Office said in a statement . A shark researcher made the determination after examining the body of Francisco Javier Solorio Jr. , who was bitten on the left side of his upper torso Tuesday , the statement said . The shark attacked when the 39-year-old was riding waves with three friends off a beach at Vandenberg Air Force Base . One of the friends saw the attack , swam over and pulled Solorio out of the water and onto the beach , Sgt . Mark Williams with the sheriff 's office said . The friend gave him first aid while another called for help , he said . Paramedics pronounced Solorio dead at the scene , the sheriff 's office said . In October 2010 , another shark attack killed a 19-year-old college student off the same beach at Vandenberg . That shark , described as being 14 to 20 feet , bit off the left leg of Lucas McKaine Ransom of Romoland , California , while he was Boogie Boarding with a 20-year-old male friend , authorities said . Ransom was a junior at University of California at Santa Barbara and was majoring in chemical engineering . Surf Beach is one of three that sit on the coastal military base and is the only one open to the public , a military spokesman said Tuesday . Solorio , who was from Orcutt , just two miles from Vandenberg , was n't affiliated with the military base , said a Vandenberg spokeswoman . Opinion : Even after attacks , sharks need protection . CNN 's Amanda Watts , Michael Martinez and Diahann Reyes contributed to this report .
The great white shark was at least 15 feet long , officials said . Police release a photo showing teeth marks on a # ##board . 39-year - old Francisco Javier Solorio died in the attack . Four friends were riding waves off Surf Island at Vandenberg Air Force Base .