CHANNEL ISLANDS : Captains Questioned on Boat Accident
The U.S. Coast Guard on Wednesday questioned two captains and inspected the hull of a sportfishing boat that crashed into a cliff on Santa Cruz Island, forcing the evacuation of 29 passengers.
Both captains of the 75-foot China Clipper, which is owned by Channel Islands Sportfishing Center-Oxnard, traveled to Long Beach Wednesday for in-depth interviews by Coast Guard investigators.
Coast Guard Lt. Darren Drury said investigators will first try to determine what caused the crash at 5:30 a.m. Tuesday. If it was caused by operator error, Drury said, the Coast Guard may “start going after a person’s license if that’s the necessary thing to do.”
Drury said it will probably take several months before the findings are released.
Both captains and two deckhands were required to take chemical tests to check for drugs or alcohol in their blood, said Rick Grant, co-owner of the charter company, based at Channel Islands Harbor. The results should be forwarded to the Coast Guard by an independent lab within three days, he said.
At the time of the crash, the China Clipper was being operated by second captain Chris Ontinero.
The crash ripped a 6-foot gash in the boat’s bow that Grant estimated will cost $25,000 to $30,000 to repair.
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