Surfer Found With Shark Wounds Committed Suicide: Medical Examiner

Beaver had been an avid surfer in his life but had not been out on the water for some time according to the report

Despite wounds consistent with a shark attack, officials have determined that a man found dead off the shores of La Jolla two months ago committed suicide.

Brandon Beaver, 42, was found on May 9 lying in the kelp at the waterline near Tourmaline Beach, several hundred yards from where a search was initiated hours before, lifeguards said.

In an official autopsy report released Friday, the county medical examiner's office concluded Beaver was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs when he decided to remove his wetsuit and tie it around his surfboard.

Even though the report mentions several bite marks on the body from sevengill and possibly a juvenile white shark, there are signs that Beaver was dead before the bites occurred.

"There was no evidence whatsoever that his death was due to shark attack, as all findings indicated postmortem marine animal activity," the report states.

A general contractor, Beaver had been an avid surfer in his life but had not been out on the water for some time, according to the report.

His fiancΓ©e told investigators Beaver had a history of depression, mental issues, including bipolar disorder and suicidal thoughts and had been stressed with family and money problems prior to his death, officials said.

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