Update: Man Dies, but Child Is Rescued From Beneath Capsized Boat

An afternoon fishing outing took a deadly turn in Seal Beach Thursday, when a boat capsized, trapping a child and senior citizen beneath it.

Rescue workers freed an 8-year-old and a 70-year-old trapped underneath a capsized fishing boat in Seal Beach’s Surfside, but the older man was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Just before 1 p.m., witnesses saw a large wave capsize an 18-foot fishing boat about 20 feet from shore in Surfside, said Orange County Sheriff’s Department Investigator Dan Salcedo.

There were three people aboard the boat, including a 40-year-old man who was able to escape without getting caught beneath the boat. Rescue workers from the Seal Beach Police, and Huntington and Seal Beach lifeguards were able to lift the boat out of the water just enough to pull the two from out beneath it, Salcedo said.

The 70-year-old man was in medical distress and rushed to Los Alamitos Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

The other two were also taken to the hospital as a precaution but seemed to be in good condition, added Salcedo.

“They are still unable to flip the boat over because of the weight and the surge of the water,” Salcedo said. “They are bringing in heavy equipment to try to get it out.”