Two Men Drown as Boat Capsizes

Two men were killed Sunday when their boat struck the breakwater off the Port of Los Angeles and capsized, authorities said.

A 7-year-old boy injured in the incident was on a ventilator and was expected to survive.

The men were among six relatives who embarked on a fishing trip Sunday morning from Cabrillo Beach on an 18-foot motorboat, said Los Angeles Port Police Sgt. Daniel Aleman.

The group consisted of three children, the children’s mother, their stepfather and their grandfather, officials said. Aleman said authorities would not disclose the victims’ identities until other relatives were notified.

After reaching open water, the family encountered heavy fog and tried to return to shore, officials said. But the boat’s engine is believed to have failed, and it began to drift. Shortly after 11 a.m., about an eighth of a mile southwest of Angel’s Gate -- the opening in the breakwater that marks the entrance to the port and Los Angeles Harbor -- the vessel struck the rocks.

The hull was damaged and the boat capsized, Aleman said, sending the six passengers into the water.

Rescuers from five agencies raced to the scene and passengers on at least one other pleasure boat tried to help pull the victims from the water. But the two men are believed to have drowned, Aleman said.

“It was very foggy, which made them turn back,” he said. “They lost their bearings. When the engines failed, that gets tough.”

Two of the children and their mother were not seriously injured, officials said.

The children were wearing life jackets, but the adults were not, said Coast Guard Lt. Tony Migliorini.