Shark attack doesn’t stop intrepid paddleboarders

SOLANA BEACH, Calif. – A few paddleboarders ignored posted signs warning that a great white shark still could be lurking below the surface Saturday, just a day after a swimmer was killed in a rare attack near San Diego.

“It’s like going to see ‘Jaws.’ Getting in the water the next day, all you could think about was the music,” said Bob Rief, 63, who was teaching a friend how to stand up on a paddleboard. “But if you’re afraid of the ocean, you shouldn’t be in it.”

The San Diego-area native was worried that the attack would scare away vacationers or weekend beachgoers and hurt businesses. Solana Beach is 14 miles northwest of San Diego.

Despite the summerlike temperatures and cloudless skies that normally lure large crowds, beaches were mostly empty near where triathlete David Martin, 66, was killed Friday.

On Saturday, about eight miles of shoreline from San Diego north to Carlsbad remained under advisory closure as sheriff’s helicopters scanned the shore for signs of the shark and for unwitting swimmers.

The beaches in San Diego will be patrolled throughout the weekend, according to city and county officials. A weekend surfing competition in Encinitas, a seaside town north of the attack, was canceled because of safety concerns.