Pacificans were in shock last week as they heard the news about a native son, Adrian Ruiz, who died off the coast of Mexico after being attacked by a shark.

A San Francisco resident, Ruiz, 25, most recently tended bar for a living in San Francisco, but he graduated through the school system in Pacifica and left many local friends behind.

As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle last week, he checked into a hotel with a group of surfing friends April 28 on Troncones Beach on the Pacific coast of Mexico. So anxious to get into the water, he quickly stowed his bags in the room to race to the beach. But Ruiz met with tragedy instead. At around 7 p.m., a tiger shark attacked him and took a big bite out of right leg. The bite left a 15-inch wound from the hip to the knee and exposed the femur. There was no nearby hospital, so a bystander took him in his own truck to a military hospital in Ixtapa, 30 minutes away, but Ruiz died shortly upon arrival due to his massive loss of blood. According to one of the Mexican newspapers, experts gauged the weight of the shark to be up to 660 pounds and that Ruiz was attacked about 325 yards from shore, the Chronicle reported.

Ruiz attended local schools, Cabrillo through fifth grade, Ortega Middle School and Terra Nova High School. Besides surfing, he loved to play hockey.

Regina Biagini, a guidance counselor at Terra Nova High School, recalls Ruiz was a very likeable, charismatic person who cheered up the counseling office when he worked there as an assistant his senior year.

"He had a magnetic personality," she said. "He was very warm and friendly. He touched people."

Memorial services were held Saturday at Duggan's Mortuary. Friends of the very popular young man told their favorite stories and memories about him.

Family friend Michael Warren wrote an email to the Tribune to share how deeply he is missing Ruiz.

"Pacifica lost one of its sons recently, and it is with a heavy heart that we mourn his passing and celebrate his life. Adrian Ruiz was a wonderful young man, loved by so many. Sharla, his mom, Dave, his dad, and Ricky, his step dad, did a wonderful job raising him. We are so sorry for your loss. Adrian was like a son to myself and Carmen and a brother to my sons, Jason, Michael and Vincent. We were blessed to have had the pleasure of watching him grow up from such a nice little boy to the fine young man he became. We will forever miss you, Adrian, but our family and all the other friends and family will always love you. We will see you again dude, love ya!!"