Search for two boaters suspended
The Coast Guard on Friday suspended its two-day search off the San Pedro coast for two missing boaters, one of whom is the brother of U.S. Reps. Loretta and Linda T. Sanchez of California.
The search, which began Thursday morning, covered more than 300 square miles south of the entrance to the Port of Los Angeles before being called off Friday afternoon with neither boater found, said Coast Guard Capt. Paul Wiedenhoeft.
The Sanchez sisters said in a statement that their brother, Henry Sanchez, 51, and his girlfriend, Penny Avila, 48, are the two missing boaters.
The Coast Guard said Henry Sanchez and Avila, both of Santa Ana, left Alamitos Bay near Long Beach in a 28-foot Bayliner late Wednesday en route to Santa Catalina Island but never arrived.
“The Coast Guard suspects the missing vessel was involved in a collision” with a barge under tow in the vicinity of the debris field, said Ensign Stephanie Young.
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