Briefly In Public Safety

Man dies after diving in Laguna

A Tustin man died after diving off the Laguna Beach coast Tuesday, according to police Lt. Jason Kravetz.

Bryan Siglock, 36, died of cardiac-related causes, according to the Orange County Sheriff-Coroner.

A witness called police at 1:10 p.m. to report two distressed divers. The caller said the divers were attempting to get ashore but were getting tossed around in the waves.

Kravetz confirmed that the two men were brothers.

One man made it to shore, freed himself of his gear and jumped back into the water to rescue Siglock, who was in full cardiac arrest when brought to shore.

Lifeguards, police and fire officials responded and attempted to resuscitate Siglock. He was transported by helicopter to Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, where he was pronounced dead.

Lifeguards Chief Jason Young said Tuesday was not a good day to dive and that nearby beaches had red flags denoting hazardous conditions.

There were some 4- to 6-foot waves that day, with lulls of smaller waves. The inconsistency could have been deceiving, he said.

The department responds to emergencies at the beach, but there is no lifeguard tower there, he said.

Young advised that all divers check with lifeguards prior to a beach dive, especially when there is any type of surf.

“We certainly would have advised against diving that day,” he said.

For information on surf conditions, call (949) 276-5050.

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Dead dolphin found in Shaw’s Cove

A 7-foot-long dolphin washed up dead in Shaw’s Cove on Tuesday afternoon, according to Laguna Beach police.

The Pacific Marine Mammal Center identified it as an adult female bottlenose dolphin.

A lifeguard reported that a dolphin was “not looking right” in the water, according to Marine Safety.

He noticed that the dolphin made a 180-degree turn when it got near the rocks and he saw it kick.

The center was notified of a potential rescue. Less than 10 minutes after the call, the lifeguard said the dolphin changed to a belly-up position in the water. A few moments later, it washed ashore.

The center responded immediately to the call about 12:30 p.m., so the dolphin was not in the cove for long, said Director of Animal Care Michele Hunter.

The dolphin was dead when center officials arrived.

It had a significant amount of abscesses, necrotic tissue and was in “pretty bad shape,” according to the center.

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Serial rapist committed to mental hospital

An Orange County judge has ordered a convicted serial rapist committed to a mental hospital, possibly for life, after a jury found that he continues to be a threat to society even though he has completed his state prison term, according to a Los Angeles Times report.

On Monday, a jury unanimously reached the determination against Dougal Samuels, 55, after a month-long civil commitment trial.

Samuels was convicted in 1989 of raping two women and sexually assaulting two others, including one in Laguna Beach, after meeting them at area bars or restaurants.

On July 28, 1987, Samuels met a woman at The White House restaurant in Laguna Beach, according to a news release from the Orange County district attorney’s office.

After the woman’s friends left, Samuels asked her for a ride to his car, which he claimed was nearby. When he couldn’t locate his car, he told the woman to pull over and then jumped on top of her, choked her and attempted to rape her. The victim eventually broke free and reported the assault to police.

Under California law, people convicted of sexually violent offenses must be examined mentally once they have completed their criminal sentence.

—Compiled by Joanna Clay and Kelly Parker