LOS ANGELES – The Coast Guard responded to a report of a disabled sailboat with eight people onboard, including three children, near Long Beach Harbor Saturday, June 2, 2013.
Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach command center received the report from the operator of the sailboat at 7:50 p.m., via cell phone. The man reported his 20-ft sailing had lost power near Long Beach. The man also reported to be without proper lifesaving equipment and signaling devices.
The Coast Guard dispatched a 45-ft Response Boat-Medium from Coast Guard Station Los Angeles-Long Beach and an MH-65C Dolphin rescue helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Los Angeles to search for the vessel. Long Beach lifeguards also assisted in the search.
Crewmembers from Station LA-LB located the vessel and towed it to Alamitos Bay. The vessel operator was cited by Coast Guard boarding team members for not having proper signaling and lifesaving devices onboard. There were no injuries reported.
“Coast Guard encourages recreational boaters to ensure that they have proper safety devices onboard their vessel, as it helps authorities in case of emergencies such as this”, said Lt. Juan M. Hernandez, a Command Center Chief at Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach.
