1 Killed, 3 Injured When Speedboat Hits Wave

The skipper of a 30-foot speedboat died and three of his companions were injured Sunday when the craft unexpectedly slammed into a wave in a freak accident about half a mile offshore, authorities said.

Adam Zipp, 48, of Newport Beach, was putting his Scarab racing boat through its paces at high speed about 2:30 p.m. off Emerald Bay when it hit the ocean swell, catching everyone aboard off guard and causing him to lose control, Orange County Sheriff’s Lt. Fred Lisanti said. Zipp may have made a right turn just as the swell hit, Lisanti added.

The impact “sent everybody on the boat flying” around the craft, he said.

The skipper was thrown to the floor of the boat and sustained severe injuries, although it was not immediately known whether they killed him; he may have died of a heart attack during the incident, Lisanti said.

“He sustained some fairly significant injuries, but at this point we’re not sure if they were the actual cause of death,” Lisanti said.

By the time help arrived, Zipp was in full cardiac arrest, Lisanti said. He was revived and taken first to the Harbor Patrol facility in Newport Beach and then to Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, where he died, Lisanti said.

The three others aboard--a 26-year-old woman from Palos Verdes, a 39-year-old woman from San Diego and a 35-year-old man from Aliso Viejo--all suffered cuts, chest and head injuries, but none were considered serious, Lisanti said.

It was not known whether they were wearing seat belts.