California IN BRIEF : SAN FRANCISCO : Fishing Boat Sinks; 3 Presumed Dead

Three men were presumed dead after their fishing vessel sank in strong winds and rough sea off the coast of San Francisco. The Freda-M was 50 nautical miles west of San Francisco when it went down shortly before 9:15 p.m. Saturday, said Coast Guard Petty Officer Shelly Freier. “They went down fast. The Rogy (their buddy-ship) was three-quarters of a mile away, and then suddenly they couldn’t see the Freda-M’s lights anymore,” said Freier. Winds were at 35 knots and the waves were between 13 and 15 feet, Freier said. The Rogy immediately called the Coast Guard to report the Freda-M’s distress signal, and by the time the Rogy arrived, the only trace of the Freda-M was a life raft with an emergency radio beacon aboard. Lost were skipper Charlie Cheek of Los Molinos, Ted Horton of Moss Landing and Walter Foote of Prunedale. Rescue crews planned to resume their search today.