Shipwreck in Seal Beach Prompts Rescue by Lifeguards

Crews worked all day Thursday to remove a 26-foot sailboat that ran aground in Seal Beach late Wednesday night.

The ordeal began Wednesday when Seal Beach lifeguards responded to a distress call. They found the sailboat damaged and taking in water as it jostled in the waves along the shore west of the pier, said Seal Beach Marine Safety Chief Joe Bailey.

“I received a call at 11:30 pm to respond to a boat coming aground on the west side of the beach. The Westcom dispatcher indicated that the people on board the vessel were possibly in distress,” Bailey said in a written report.

Bailey and Marine Safety Lt. Chris Pierce were able to get the sailors off the boat without injury. The entire keel had been torn off the bottom of the boat, said Bailey.

“The vessel was taking on water, with two feet of water in the cabin. I determined there was no possible way to float the vessel back out to sea, so we removed the passengers to the beach. Once the passengers were safe, Lt. Pierce and I removed the vessel’s gas tanks to avoid a fuel spill,” added Bailey.

The rescue turned out to be the easy part.

The boat’s owner returned on Thursday morning to remove the wreckage, a process that took the salvage crew until late Thursday evening.