SAN PEDRO, Calif. – The Coast Guard rescued a man from the water near Marina Del Rey, Calif., early Wednesday morning at about 12:24 a.m.
Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach watch standers received a call for help from the vessel Clarion, reporting a person overboard. The man fell during the boat's transit back from Santa Barbara Island, Calif, unfortunately, he wasn’t discovered missing from the vessel until hours later. Without witnesses or an exact time of when the man fell overboard, the Coast Guard knew the search would be extremely challenging.
A 29-foot Response boat small from Station LA-LB, the Coast Guard Cutter Narwhal, and a MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Los Angeles, and Bay Watch Marina Del Rey were launched to search for the man.
After arriving in the search patterns, the Coast Guard Cutter Narwhal could not see, but heard the sound of whistling coming from the water and vectored in the Station LA-LB small boat crew to the location where they found the man in the water. He was not wearing a lifejacket. It is estimated that the man fell overboard and treaded water for over five and a half hours.
While showing signs of mild hypothermia, he suffered no serious injuries. The man was taken to the Marina Del Rey Sherriff’s station where he was reunited with his family.
The Coast Guard reminds boaters of the importance of having proper safety equipment and the wearing of floatation devices. Locating persons in distress, especially between sunset and sunrise is extremely challenging. Having the proper safety equipment will assist rescue crews with locating you more expeditiously and ensuring your safety.
Winds, seas, current, visibility and other weather factors all limit the amount of time personnel can survive in the water. If this individual was wearing a life jacket, he could have been more visible to rescue crews and more easily identifiable.
For more information on lifejacket laws in the state of California, click http://www.dbw.ca.gov/BoaterInfo/LifeJacketInfo.aspx
