4 Crew Members Rescued as Fishing Boat Sinks

All four crew members of a fishing boat based in San Pedro were safely evacuated by the Coast Guard early Monday as their 42-foot purse seiner, laden with nets and a catch of squid, sank off the coast of Santa Catalina Island.

The Donna K, a 37-year-old wooden-hulled boat, began taking on water at 3:30 a.m. and went down at 5:38 a.m. after the Coast Guard determined that it could not be saved, according to Chief Petty Officer Marc Phillips.

“There was no real danger (to the crew),” Phillips said. “We were alongside attempting to refloat it. When it looked like we were going to lose it, we took them off.”

Phillips said authorities have not determined the cause of the flooding. The operator of the boat, Pete LoGrande, 34, of San Pedro, could not be reached.