LOS ANGELES — At 8:30 a.m., Saturday, the Coast Guard ended the search for a missing boater near Ventura Harbor Entrance.
At about 8:30 p.m., Friday, two individuals fell in the water after their 15-foot Boston Whaler recreational vessel capsized near the entrance to Ventura Harbor. One man successfully swam ashore, but a 65-year-old man was reported to still be missing.
Shortly after receiving notification at Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles/Long Beach, the Coast Guard launched a 45-foot Response Boat crew from Coast Guard Station Channel Islands Harbor, a HH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Air Station Los Angeles and Coast Guard Cutter Blackfin, homeported in Santa Barbara.
Surface assets from Ventura County Fire Department Dive Team, Ventura County Sheriffs Department also assisted in the search for the missing man.
The Coast Guard would like to remind boaters to:
Always wear a life jacket. Since there is little time to reach for stowed vests when accidents occur, wearing one at all times reduces your risk of drowning. Federal law requires you to have a personal floatation device on board for each passenger.
File a float plan. A float plan is simply letting family and friends know where you are going and your expected time of return. File a float plan with someone who is not getting underway with you and stick to the plan. If you change plans, contact the person. A float plan assists responders in the search of an overdue boater who may be in distress.
Have a signaling device to communicate distress on the water. Boaters should have a marine-band radio, signal flares and an emergency position-indicating radio beacon to alert first responders. Boaters can reach the Coast Guard on marine-band radios on VHF channel 16 24/7, and an EPIRB provides search-and-rescue coordinators with vital information such as phone numbers and the description and type of vessel, which allows the Coast Guard to respond much quicker.