Search for missing boater’s body resumes off Catalina Island

The search for a boater who went missing off Catalina Island after two vessels crashed was expected to resume Tuesday morning, though authorities say the search has turned into a recovery effort.

The collision near Descanso Bay occurred early Sunday morning when a dinghy carrying five passengers struck a larger vessel measuring approximately 14 feet, said Capt. Douglas Fetteroll of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. At the time of the crash, both vessels were moving, but it’s unclear whether either was using lights, Fetteroll said. The investigation is ongoing.

One man, identified as Michael Harris, died, two others suffered minor injuries and a third sustained a head injury, authorities said. The operator of the larger boat suffered minor injuries but did not require hospitalization, Fetteroll said.

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Harris was the son of the former chief executive of the San Francisco 49ers, Peter Harris, who confirmed his death in a Facebook post.

Rescuers have been unable to locate the dinghy’s fifth passenger — a man whom authorities declined to identify — in the wreckage or during two daylong searches. The Coast Guard suspended its search Sunday night, but two boats from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and one from the port police continued to look for the man’s body until 2 p.m., when the search was called off for the day.

A sheriff’s department spokeswoman said the search was considered a recovery operation and no longer a rescue.

“They don’t expect to find this person alive at this point,” Deputy Amber Smith said Monday. “It would be wonderful if they did, but they don’t expect that.”

Times staff writer Matt Hamilton contributed to this report.

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