32 Rescued as Sportfishing Boats Collide

Two sportfishing boats carrying a total of 32 people collided off the coast of San Diego in predawn darkness Tuesday. One vessel sank and the other was extensively damaged.

People on board the boats were rescued from lifeboats or directly off the deck by two sportfishing craft that arrived on the scene shortly after the collision. All 32 survived the crash, with only three people suffering minor injuries, according to the Coast Guard.

The collision between the 50-foot Temptress, which was carrying five passengers and three crew members, and the 65-foot Aztec, which was carrying 19 passengers and five crew members, occurred a little before 3 a.m. near the Coronado Islands, a popular sportfishing area.

Within an hour, the San Diego-based Temptress sank, according to witnesses. The Aztec, based in Long Beach, was being towed to San Diego by a salvage company. Several Aztec crew members remained aboard after the collision to help with the towing process.

The cause of the collision has not been determined, said Lt. Larry Solberg of the Coast Guard marine safety office in San Diego.

One fisherman on the Temptress said the accident occurred with no warning.

“I was knocked out of bed and heard the crunching of the two bows,” said Ralph Nelson, a 45-year-old Newport Beach businessman who boarded the Temptress a few hours before the collision on a one-day albacore expedition. “A voice behind me said, ‘Let’s get out of here.’ ”

Nelson and other passengers gathered on deck and surveyed the damage. Nelson said the entire right portion of the Temptress’ bow was missing. Within half an hour, the crew and passengers had abandoned ship and by 4 a.m. all but the ship’s mast was submerged, he said.

Being Towed

The Coast Guard is still trying to piece together details of the accident, and investigators have yet to talk in detail with the skipper of the Aztec, Curt Wegener, who remained on the vessel as it was being towed.

Nelson said there was no fog and the moon was at three-quarters. The Temptress was heading south, while the Aztec was northbound, returning to port after a two-day fishing trip.

The Aztec was taking on water but remained afloat when the sportfishing boat Grande 85 pulled alongside and assisted passengers on board.

The New Lo-An, which also responded to distress calls, rescued the eight people from the Temptress, skippered by Craig Stanton.