6 rescued after boat runs aground off Catalina Island coast
Six people were rescued from the south side of Catalina Island after their boat ran aground near Catalina Harbor Saturday morning, Nov. 30, authorities said.
Los Angeles County Fire Department lifeguards responded to the vessel, a 43-foot trawler, about 6:30 a.m., dispatch supervisor Ed Pickett said.
The boat was located about two miles southeast of Catalina Harbor on the south side of the island. The U.S. Coast Guard also responded, Pickett said.
Six people were found on the rocks near the vessel. Four of them were helped onto a lifeguard boat while two were air lifted to the USC Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber on the north side of the island for immediate medical treatment, Pickett said.
#IslandIC the vessel will be turned over to private salvage company for recovery. Outstanding #teamwork from the responding crews. pic.twitter.com/tjBKGFCOb6
— LACoFD Lifeguards (@LACoLifeguards) November 30, 2019
All six later were reunited at the facility, which is located about two miles east of Two Harbors and 25 miles northwest from Avalon, Pickett said.
It wasn’t known exactly how the boat ran aground, but Pickett said the injuries were not believed to be due to a diving incident.