Boats to Parade in Memory of Captain Who Saved Others

A boat parade will be held Monday in Newport Harbor in memory of a well-known local boat captain at a marine assistance company.

David (Woody) Pollak, 34, died last week in a water-skiing accident two miles off Crystal Cove, authorities said. Efforts to save his life were similar to rescues Pollak himself had participated in with his firm, Costa Mesa-based Vessel Assist.

On Monday, recreational boaters and well-wishers are invited to gather from 4:30 to 5:45 p.m. at Woody’s Wharf restaurant, 2318 W. Newport Blvd., Orange County Sheriff’s Deputy Gary Tinoco said.

An honor guard of law enforcement vessels will meet at 5:50 p.m. in front of the Newport Harbor patrol office, Tinoco said. The honor guard will include boats from the Sheriff’s Department at Newport Harbor and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department office at Avalon Bay on Santa Catalina Island.

Boaters from Vessel Assist will meet with recreational boaters and head out to sea behind the honor guard at 6:25 p.m., Tinoco said. The funeral service is scheduled to start at 6:50 p.m. and end at sunset.

Last August, when two Marine Corps helicopters collided near Santa Catalina Island, Pollak helped rescue four surviving crew members, leaving his own boat to take over another rescue vessel where survivors were receiving medical aid.