2-mile stretch of ocean off Newport reopens to swimmers after shark sighting

By Hannah FryStaff Writer

March 9, 2017 11:19 AM PT

A stretch of ocean off Newport Beach was reopened to swimmers Thursday morning after a shark was reported in the area about 12 hours earlier.

A Huntington Beach police helicopter crew saw what was believed to be an 8-foot shark swimming 100 yards outside the surf line off 36th Street in Newport Beach before 6 p.m. Wednesday, lifeguards said.

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As a precaution, lifeguards closed a roughly 2-mile stretch of water between the Newport Pier and 56th Street through the night.

Hannah Fry, [email protected]

Twitter: @HannahFryTCN

Hannah Fry

Hannah Fry covers breaking news for the Los Angeles Times. She most recently covered Orange County for The Times and has written extensively about criminal trials, housing, politics and government. In 2020, Fry was part of the team that was a Pulitzer finalist for its coverage of a boat fire that killed 34 people off the coast of Santa Barbara. Fry came to The Times from the Daily Pilot, where she covered coastal cities, education and crime. An Orange County native, Fry started her career as an intern at the Orange County Register.