San Diego : Heart Attacks Claim 2 Boaters at Sea

Two men suffered fatal heart attacks at sea, and Coast Guard crews rescued two other boaters over the weekend.

Hiroshi Ishii, 63, of San Diego and Lustres Martinez, 50, of Ensenada died of heart seizures in separate incidents, officials said.

Ishii, a passenger on a sport fishing boat, had a heart attack 80 miles southwest of Point Loma on Monday, the Coast Guard said. He was taken by helicopter to UC San Diego Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, the statement said.

Martinez, a crew member on a 110-foot kelp harvester, had a heart attack 120 miles south of San Diego, according to the Coast Guard. He also was taken by helicopter to UC San Diego Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, officials said.

A 45-foot sailing boat radioed for help at 3:45 a.m. Saturday after it began taking on water, a Coast Guard spokesman said. A pump delivered by helicopter helped right the boat, which was escorted back to San Diego for repairs.

The Coast Guard also rescued Mike Irey of San Diego after his 16-foot wooden skiff was flipped by waves Monday while he was fishing near the Point Loma Lighthouse. Irey’s boat drifted onto the rocks and broke up.