Schafer, 38, of Stuart, was rushed to Martin Memorial North Medical Center, where he later died.
He told a lifeguard who swam to him that he had been attacked by sharks, officials say. Schafer had multiple bite wounds, including an 8- to 10-inch bite on his right thigh and teeth marks on his right and left buttocks.
It was Martin County's first fatal shark attack, according to records going back to 1882.
Schafer's friends plan to hold a memorial service Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Stuart Beach.
Grant Gilmore, a senior scientist with Estuarine, Coastal and Ocean Science Inc. in Vero Beach, told TCPalm that young great whites might be responsible for the attack, but bite patterns on Schafer's body will have to be analyzed.
Great whites prefer colder northern Atlantic Ocean waters and aren't usually thought of as a Florida shark. But smaller 6- to 8-foot ones migrate to Florida's east coast during winter, said Gilmore.
