Public Affairs Detachment Los Angeles
U.S. Coast Guard
News Release
Coast Guard, Baywatch assist boater near Catalina Island
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SAN PEDRO, Calif. - The Coast Guard and Baywatch Isthmus worked together to rescue a man after his boat ran aground near Catalina Island, Calif., Tuesday morning. A watchstander from Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles - Long Beach received the call for help around 9:20 a.m., and coordinated to dispatch a Baywatch Isthmus boat and launched a MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Los Angeles. The man's boat was stuck on the rocks northwest of Catalina Island when rescuers arrived. A Baywatch Isthmus crewmember jumped in the water and transferred the man to their vessel while the helicopter flew overhead as a safety precaution. The weather conditions at the time had the winds gusting up to 10 mph, waves up to four feet, and the water temperature at 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The threat of hypothermia exists when a person is immersed in water that is colder than their normal body core temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Many people do not realize that this threat exists even on warm, sunny days. Factors that can lower hypothermia survivability rates include cold water, rough water, windy conditions, and fatigue. Another photo can be found at: http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=1060762 |
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