A paddleboarder who was arrested for attacking a surfer may not go to trial. Andrew Eric Gustafson, 60, who allegedly attacked a surfer with a paddle and held her head underwater, may avoid a criminal trial through a court-ordered mental health treatment program, as the San Luis Obispo Tribune reports.
The original confrontation occurred in Morro Bay in August 2025. The surfer, Haylee Red-Van Rooyen, described the altercation in a January court appearance. According to her, Gustafson took a wave behind Red-Van Rooyen, collided with her and knocked her off the board. When she confronted him, he became aggressive. First he hurled expletives and insults at her, then got back on his board and began to chase her. Finally he hit her with his paddle and held her head underwater.
“The three words that he was saying over and over that day was, ‘you f—ing b—h,’ ‘you f—ing w—e’ and ‘you f—ing c–t,’ over and over,” she said. “I thought I was going to die,” she added, “He grabbed my hair and held me underwater, and I didn’t know if I was going to make it.”…