Bystanders were unable to help save an unconscious surfer pulled from the water at Guadalupe Beach Friday morning.
The Santa Barbara County Fire Department says the call came in just after 9:30 a.m.
Fire Captain Scott Safechuck says the 70-year-old man was in a lineup with other surfers in the water when they noticed he was face down.
The man, who is believed to have suffered a cardiac arrest, was pulled to shore by other surfers, including an off-duty registered nurse.
Safechuck says bystander CPR was performed on the surfer until fire and EMS personnel arrived but resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Santa Barbara County Fire responded to the scene along with State Parks, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, Calstar and an ambulance.
The fire department thanked everyone who worked to help save the man.
