PURISIMA POINT, Calif. — The Coast Guard suspended its active search at 8:51 p.m., Tuesday following an exhaustive search for a male who was reported to be missing after the 40-foot vessel he was aboard, the Scarlet Begonia, ran aground near Purisima Point, Calif. Monday night.
Two other people were also aboard the vessel when it ran aground. One is reported to be injured and receiving medical care and the other is deceased.
The Coast Guard was joined in response by the Vandenberg Air Force Base Fire Department, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department, the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, and the Calstar organization.
Coast Guard assets on scene included a MH-65C Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Los Angeles, a 47-foot motor life boat from Coast Guard Station Morro Bay, and investigators from Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Santa Barbara. Air and surface search and rescue assets covered a total of 31 square nautical miles over the course of 9 hours today. Total straight-line length of search patterns amounted to 117 nautical miles.
Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach was first notified of the grounded vessel by Vandenberg Air Force Base personnel Tuesday morning. The cause of the incident remains under investigation.
