Big Shark Drowns Bay Fisherman

[Ken Jones]

Back in the day — Be Careful Out There!

Big Shark Drowns Bay Fisherman​

San Francisco (UP) — A fisherman drowned in San Francisco Bay Thursday when a big fish he was trying to land jerked him into the Bay. The victim was Carl D. Sigler, 22, a laborer.
Police suspected that a powerful leopard shark was to blame. Several of them have been caught recently at Pier 92 on Islais Creek, where Sigler was fishing.
Sigler had gone to the assistance of Mrs. Dorether Antoine, who had hooked the fish on her line. He had played out the line when the fish made a sudden lunge, pulling Sigler into the water.
Mrs. Antoine said Sigler came up once to the surface, then disappeared from view. A Coast Guard patrol boat recovered his body 40 minutes later.

—Ukiah Daily Journal, February 21, 1958​

 

[Red Fish]

Back in the day — Be Careful Out There!

Big Shark Drowns Bay Fisherman​

San Francisco (UP) — A fisherman drowned in San Francisco Bay Thursday when a big fish he was trying to land jerked him into the Bay. The victim was Carl D. Sigler, 22, a laborer.
Police suspected that a powerful leopard shark was to blame. Several of them have been caught recently at Pier 92 on Islais Creek, where Sigler was fishing.
Sigler had gone to the assistance of Mrs. Dorether Antoine, who had hooked the fish on her line. He had played out the line when the fish made a sudden lunge, pulling Sigler into the water.
Mrs. Antoine said Sigler came up once to the surface, then disappeared from view. A Coast Guard patrol boat recovered his body 40 minutes later.

—Ukiah Daily Journal, February 21, 1958​

Sounds like a bat 🦇 ray to me Ken.
Pier 92? Sounds like Pier 90 where Stan Low lost his life. It’s deep and swift off the front. Remember I told you I was pulled to my knees from a standing position around 1999. I was fishing at Fleming Point, Berkeley with a Newell 454-C (which is basically a 4/0 but lighter in weight). I was fishing very heavy with 60# original P-Line mono. I caught a jet black bat ray, that when I put maybe 20# of drag on, leapt up out of the water maybe 6’ and pulled me forward simultaneously to my knees.
I could see something like this pulling someone off balance and into the drink on an old pier like the Bethlehem Dry Dock aka Pier 90.

 

[Ken Jones]

I've never had a fish get me off balance but I have seen it happen. Newport Pier at one time had no railings and you were always wondering when someone was going to go in — but it rarely happened.