Shark kills 13-year-old surfer off shore of French island

PARIS -- A 13-year-old boy has been killed by a shark while surfing off the shore of the French island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean.

Multiple media outlets identified the victim as Elio Canestri.

Pro surfer and Reunion native Jeremy Flores paid tribute to Canestri on Instagram, calling the teen "one of our best up and coming" surfers in an Instagram post.

A tribute page for Canestri was set up on Facebook.

The island, with an active volcano and striking vistas that attract tourists, has seen a rise in shark activity in recent years. It was the seventh shark-related death since 2011.

After a non-fatal shark attack in February, authorities banned all water activities outside select areas watched by lifeguards.

The regional maritime rescue service, known as CROSS, said in a statement that the boy was surfing Sunday in an off-limits area on the west coast of the island when the shark attacked his arms and legs. The statement says rescuers arrived quickly but could not save him.