Were Helms Untended in Boat Collision?

Preliminary evidence indicates that one operator was asleep at the helm and the other was absent from the bridge when two sportfishing boats carrying 32 people collided early Tuesday morning, a U. S. Coast Guard investigator said Thursday.

Aztec operator Lorna Roberts and Temptress operator Craig Stanton will probably be charged with negligence, said Lt. Larry Solberg of the Coast Guard’s San Diego Marine Safety Office. Their licenses could be suspended or revoked.

The 65-foot Aztec, carrying 19 passengers and five crew members, collided head-on with the 50-foot Temptress, with five passengers and three crew members, a little before 3 a.m. Tuesday near the Coronado Islands. Three people suffered minor injuries.

The collision sank the Temptress and damaged the Aztec’s bow.

Findings indicate that both ships were on autopilot when they collided, said Solberg, the investigating officer. Stanton reportedly left the bridge of the Temptress to inspect the engine room, Solberg said. Roberts appeared to have dozed off, he said.

Under Coast Guard requirements, Solberg said, the Long Beach-based Aztec was required to maintain two licensed operators while at sea. The Aztec’s other licensed operator, Curt Wegener, skipper and owner of the vessel, was asleep below deck when the two ships collided, Solberg said.

Wegener, from Long Beach, was in San Diego on Thursday gathering repair estimates but was unavailable for comment. Estimated damage to the Aztec, valued at $750,000, has not been determined.

Stanton, the Temptress skipper, could not be reached for comment. According to the Coast Guard, the Temptress, because it is a smaller boat and carries fewer passengers, operates under a different kind of Coast Guard license and requirements from the Aztec.

The collision occurred under a three-quarter moon and in favorable weather about 26 miles south of Point Loma. The Temptress, embarking on a one-day albacore expedition, was traveling south when it collided with the Aztec, which was traveling north.