BY MERIT McCREA and MIKE STEVENS
OXNARD – The sportfishing vessel, Sea Jay ran aground at Santa Cruz Island this morning (June 15) at approximately 2:30 a.m. before sinking a short time later in Pelican Bay. No major injuries were reported and all passengers and crew (14 total) were safely evacuated by the U.S. Coast Guard. The Ranger 85, Seabiscuit and the DFW patrol boat Coho were also on the scene and assisting in the rescue efforts.
Danny Wolfe was in his skiff at Yellow Banks (8.7 miles away) when he heard a radio call from the Sea Jay on channel 16.
“The gist of it was, ‘we hit the rocks at Pelican Harbor. We’re taking on water and pretty much asking for any vessels nearby to help,’ Wolfe told Western Outdoor News. “I know the Seabiscuit showed up, too, and it looks like a few of the six pack guys from Channel Islands showed up. They made it very clear no one was hurt bad, but from the radio it did not sound like the boat was going to go down. Then it turned into them talking to the Coast Guard about how many people are on board and if they had enough life vests and stuff.”
When Wolfe arrived at the scene, the Coast Guard was already there.
“I just tried to stay out of the way and available to assist.”
This is a developing story that will be updated as details are gathered and confirmed.
