4 Rescued After Boat Sinks Off Long Beach
Four boaters in distress were rescued by Long Beach firefighters Saturday afternoon after their stalled motorboat was swamped by waves and began to sink.
Three of the men jumped from the boat and swam to a nearby breakwater that shelters the Queen Mary in Long Beach Harbor. They were later plucked from the rocky wall by firefighters in a rescue boat, said department spokesman Wayne Chaney.
The fourth man was unable to swim and remained in the water after the boat sank. He clung to a floating cooler that his friends had thrown to him, Chaney said. He was rescued by a Long Beach Fire Department boat after nearly drowning, firefighters said.
“He did take on a little water,” Chaney said. The victim was taken to the hospital and was listed in stable condition Saturday evening, Chaney said.
The men had radioed for help at 12:15 p.m., when they began having engine trouble.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
