Coast Guard rescues missing boater, dog near Catalina Island
Photo courtesy U.S. Coast Guard
LOS ANGELES - A missing boater and dog were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard about 18 miles east of Catalina Island Saturday night, according to officials.
What we know:
Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles received a distress call around 8 p.m. from a Good Samaritan aboard a 34-foot sailing vessel. The caller told authorities his friend the friend's dog was missing. The Coast Guard was unable to communicate directly with the vessel, but received information through TowBoat US Ventura.
The missing boater was last seen four to five hours prior before reportedly falling asleep.
A search and rescue operation was organized and air support request from Coast Guard Sector San Diego, officials said.
A Coast Guard helicopter located the issing boater and dog in a dinghy about 1,400 yards from where the Good Samaritan made the distress call.
The boater was suffering from mild hypothermia and taken to shore, along with the dog, where they were met by paramedics at the dock.
The dinghy and disabled sailing vessel were towed to Newport Beach.
What we don't know:
The identity of the boater and Good Samaritan were not released.
It's unclear how the boater's vessel became disabled.
The Source: Information for this story is from the U.S. Coast Guard.