BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Authorities have confirmed that a central California woman who died from shark bites on Tuesday was attacked by a great white.

Deborah Franzman, 50, was an instructor at Allan Hancock college. She swam near the Avila Beach pier several times a week.

Witnesses say she was swimming near a group of seals when the great white attacked her, biting her several times on the legs.

Franzman eventually bled to death. It was the 10th fatal shark attack in California since the 1950s and the first since 1994.

Local dive expert Stuart J. Rex says it was a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Rex, who has explored the ocean from the Bahamas to Thailand, says while the attack is a tragedy, people should still feel safe in the water.

Rex has also swam with seals and understands the attraction.

"(They're) kinda playful, (like) big dogs," Rex said.

Rex confirms what shark experts believe that the great white may have mistaken Franzman for another seal.

Great whites are known to be ambush predators attacking their prey from below.

Stuart says despite the tragedy, people shouldn't be too concerned about returning to the water.

"Sharks don't typically eat everyday," he said.