Woman killed by boat propeller while snorkeling near Catalina Island
Two people have been killed in boat-related incidents in the last five days off Santa Catalina Island.
A woman was struck and killed by a boat propeller Thursday while snorkeling in Isthmus Cove at Catalina Island, authorities said.
Belinda Nguyen, 22, was snorkeling in the cove’s mooring field about 12:10 p.m. when she was struck in the head, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
She was declared dead at the scene and brought by helicopter to the L.A. County coroner’s office in Boyle Heights.
Isthmus Cove has more than 100 anchorages and 242 moorings and ferries from the mainland dock at its pier.
Nguyen’s death comes days after the collision of two boats near Descanso Bay in the waters off Catalina Island. The crash Sunday killed Michael Harris, the son of Peter Harris, who was chief executive of the San Francisco 49ers from 2000 to 2004. Three other passengers were injured, and a fifth person was reported missing.
Dive teams used sonar and underwater remote-operated vehicles to search for the missing boater. The passenger was still missing on Friday.
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