“Sea Monster”

Dick Davis

Dick Davis

372 Center

Laguna Beach, CA 92651

Phone 949-497-1022

Guarded --19448-1954 Woods Cove, Divers Cove, Crescent Bay, Victoria and Main Beach

Coached basketball at Glendale High School, U.C. Irvine and San Diego State Un.

Owned and operated health clubs, including the “Girls’ Gym Laguna”.

Retired from coaching in 1990 and currently enjoys playing high stakes poker at Hawaiian Gardens Casino.

The Sea Monster

In 1948 at Woods Cove, Dale Seaman and Bill Griffin, unbeknownst to me created a fake “Sea Monster”. It was actually Dale in the water underneath a black tarpaulin with some poles to hold up the tarp. Bill was in a rowboat out by ring rock (about a 100 yards off of shore) when he screamed and turned the rowboat over. Dale then emerged under the gleaming black tarp that from a distance looked like it could be a “Sea Monster”.

It was a crowded Sunday and everyone saw it. I made everyone get out of the water. Bill righted the boat and came to shore excited about what a huge creature it was. I had called down to the Main Tower and Carl Mays and Charlie Plummer came to Woods with the sirens screaming.

A writer from the L.A. Times arrived at Woods about an hour later. He interviewed me and took pictures. As I recall the article the title read. “Sea Monster spotted in Laguna Beach”. When I found out later it was all a big joke I was pretty embarrassed. I was just 18 years old.