The Region - News from Oct. 16, 1986
Gregory Donnell Smithe, 25, principal cellist with the UC Irvine Chamber and Symphony orchestras, is presumed drowned after vanishing from a South Laguna beach Friday. Smithe was fishing with a friend who said he left the beach for about 20 minutes and found Smithe missing when he returned. His tackle box and watch were still on the beach. A witness later told sheriff’s deputies he saw a fisherman matching Smithe’s description waist-high in the surf, casting out into the waves. A helicopter and patrol boats made a futile search for Smithe.
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