MARINA -- A Marina man surfing in the waters off Marina State Beach Tuesday was attacked by a 12-foot white shark and airlifted to the hospital with torso and thigh injuries.

Witnesses said Todd Endris, 24 of Marina, was surfing with a half dozen other people at Marina State Beach when the shark attacked him from behind around 11 a.m.

Loren Rex, a California State Parks spokesman, said the victim screamed and started punching the shark while trying to flee.

"Then the shark took him down under the water," he said. "Witnesses saw a lot of thrashing and some blood coming up. Other witnesses saw the shark let him up before biting him one more time."

One witness said the shark was a great white shark measuring at least 20 feet long, which rescuers weren't able to immediately confirm, Rex said.

Surfers pulled Endris to shore and administered first aid, using a surf leash and a blanket as tourniquets to stop the bleeding until rescuers could arrive, Rex said.

Endris was conscious and breathing when he was taken away by ambulance. He was then airlifted to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose, where he was in fair and stable condition Tuesday afternoon with lacerations to his torso and thigh, according to hospital spokeswoman Joy Alexiou.

After surgery on his wounds, Endris was recovering in good condition.

"His vital signs are stable and he's conscious and uncomfortable, obviously," Alexiou said. She did not say when Endris would be released to return to his Marina home.

The Monterey County beach, located about 35 miles south of Santa Cruz, is well known for its sand dunes, hang gliding and rugged surf with very strong rip currents. The area where the surfer was attacked is considered an advanced surfing spot suitable only for skilled surfers.

Because of the attack, state officials closed all the beaches from Monterey State Beach to Moss Landing, a 15-mile stretch where people were forbidden from entering the water Tuesday.

Rex said this was the first recorded shark attack at Marina State Beach, but added that some divers have been attacked in Monterey Bay.