The incident occurred in Morro Bay, located in Central California. Photo: Austin Schmid // Unsplash
There has long been enmity between paddleboarders and surfers, but rarely does it escalate to actual violence. This weekend, though, an altercation in the waters of Central California’s Morro Bay led to a man being charged with assault with a deadly weapon.
The incident occurred in the water just south of the entrance to Morro Strand State Beach. The specifics of the incident have not yet been reported, but a criminal complaint filed by the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney states that the weapon used in the incident was a paddleboard paddle, as KSBY reports.
According to California State Parks, its officers responded to a 911 call at around 10:45 a.m. on Saturday. Jail records show that Andrew Eric Gustafson, 59, was booked into San Luis Obispo County Jail on suspicion of attempted murder, felony assault with a deadly weapon and misdemeanor battery.
Gustafson’s bail was set at $500,000. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday.
