Beaches to reopen Monday after shark attack

SOLANA BEACH, California (AP) -- Authorities say beaches in San Diego County that were closed after a deadly shark attack will reopen Monday.

At least eight miles of sea front were closed to swimmers over the weekend after Friday's attack. Retired veterinarian David Martin died after he was bitten in the legs by a shark thought to have been a great white.

There has been no sign of the shark since the attack on the 66-year-old triathlete.

Martin's oldest son, Jeff, told reporters Sunday his father loved night diving and other sea activities. The son says no one in the family ever would have imagined a shark attack in Solana Beach.

It was the first such attack in San Diego County since 1994.

Miles of Southern California beach remained under a shark advisory Sunday, denying would-be swimmers relief from soaring temperatures.

People were mostly steering clear of coast under his jurisdiction where swimmers were urged to stay away from the water, from Torrey Pines State Beach to south Carlsbad, said Solana Beach Public Safety Director David Ott.

Beaches farther north were expected to be crowded as inland temperatures soared during the day, he said.

The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office said Martin bled to death Friday.

Elsewhere, two surfers were injured in shark attacks along the Atlantic coast of central Florida during the weekend. The Volusia County Beach Patrol said one man was bitten on the calf and the other was bitten on one foot. Their injuries were not life threatening.

On Saturday, only a hardy few Southern California paddleboarders ignored signs warning that the great white shark could still be in the area.

"It's like going to see 'Jaws' -- getting in the water the next day, all you could think about was the music," said Bob Rief, 63, who was teaching a friend how to stand up on a paddleboard. "But if you're afraid of the ocean, you shouldn't be in it."

Farther north, Orange and Los Angeles county beaches were packed with people Saturday and lifeguards were more concerned with crowds and riptides than sharks.

"The most dangerous part of the day, if you're going to the beach, is getting on the freeway to come here," said Garth Canning, section chief of the Los Angeles County Fire Department Lifeguard Division.

Great whites are rare along the Southern California coast, though females sometimes come south from their usual territory in the cooler water of the central and northern coast to pup. E-mail to a friend

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