U.S. Coast Guard boats and helicopters raced toward Santa Cruz Island after a “man overboard” report arrived to its Los Angeles/Long Beach headquarters at around 3:45 p.m. on Saturday, August 3. Conditions were foggy with limited visibility, but a boat called Perception was nearby and recovered the 66-year-old man, reported Lieutenant Commander Amber Napralla, department head of the Sector Command Center.
Napralla explained that the man had fallen backward from a 49-foot boat approximately six miles northeast of Santa Cruz Island. Due to engine issues, the boat was unable to turn around and retrieve him. The good Samaritan vessel happened to be passing by and was able to locate the man after he’d been in the water for about 45 minutes, while the Blackfin deployed from Santa Barbara, another boat crew from Channel Islands, and Towboat U.S.A., as well as Coast Guard air support and a Jayhawk crew out of San Diego. The man was uninjured, fully coherent, and had no need of medical attention.
“Even if you’re an experienced mariner and avid fisherman or just always on the water, wear your life jacket,” Napralla advised. When people fall overboard, they can experience an intense shock that makes it difficult to stay afloat. She also mentioned that, when on a boat that is in transition, it is advisable to situate yourself inside, rather than near the edge of the boat.
“Don’t sit on the side or on the edge of the boat. Try to be in a secure seat where, if something were to happen or the speed were to change randomly without your awareness, that you’re protected by the inside of the boat,” Napralla recommended.
