A charter fishing boat hit some rocks off the coast of Southern California in the middle of the night last week and sank. A good Samaritan vessel nearby picked up all 14 people on board after they abandoned ship.
The Coast Guard says it received a Mayday call at 2:33 a. m. from the captain of the Sea Jay fishing boat reporting it had hit a rock and was taking on water off Santa Cruz Island, the largest of the Channel Islands about 20 miles off Ventura Harbor. Ten passengers and four crew were on board. The captain, Chauncey Peal, told the passengers and crew to abandon ship while he anchored the boat and released the life raft. He was the last person to climb in the raft before the boat sank.
Meanwhile, the Coast Guard issued an urgent marine radio call asking nearby vessels to help the Sea Jay. It also scrambled a small boat from its Channel Islands base and a helicopter from Point Magu. A boat from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife also responded.
Another charter fishing boat nearby, the 60-foot Seabiscuit, heard the Coast Guard broadcast and was the first to reach the Sea Jay. It picked up everyone from the raft, and then the other boats transferred them safely back to shore.
“This was a dynamic case that resulted in lives saved due to the quick action of a good Samaritan, our Coast Guard watchstanders, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife,” said Capt. Ryan Manning, the commander of Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach.
A few days later a crew of divers and salvage operators recovered the Sea Jay and transported it back to the harbor.
The Coast Guard is investigating the accident.
Read more at https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/2023/06/16/sunken-charter-boat-from-oxnard-being-recovered-near-santa-cruz-island/70332066007/ and see the video below:
