The State - News from May 13, 1988

A 20-foot great white shark appeared off Newport Beach, approaching within 100 yards of shore and causing lifeguards to close the city’s six miles of beaches to swimmers and surfers. “We’ll keep everybody out of the water at least until tomorrow, when we can reevaluate the situation,” Newport Beach Marine Safety Officer Eric Bauer said. The shark was first spotted by Capt. Larry Ryan, skipper of a boat returning from a tow operation. David LaMontagne, president of Vessel Assist, a company that offers non-emergency assistance to boaters, said Ryan told him the shark “moved slowly toward the beach while he watched it, and he radioed for assistance,” LaMontagne said. Bauer said a lifeguard boat operated by Dave Wenger got within 10 feet of the shark. Both Wenger and Ryan, identified the shark as a great white, a species known to attack humans but seldom seen in waters off Southern California.