M/Y Attessa IV Collides with Sportfisher in Southern California

M/Y Attessa IV collided with 65-foot sportfisher Prowler on October 26 about nine miles off the coast of Imperial Beach, California, near the international maritime border. According to a U.S. Coast Guard press release, the Coast Guard medevaced one critically injured passenger and rescued another 17 passengers, two more of which were hurt.

The crew of the 332-foot Attessa IV contacted San Diego’s Joint Harbor Operations Center about 7:50 p.m. to report the collision. The Coast Guard report maintains that there was extensive damage to the sportfisher’s starboard quarter.

A Coast Guard helicopter and two boats were dispatched to the vessels, and the helicopter transported the critically injured passenger to University of California San Diego Medical Center. According to NBC 7 San Diego, the passenger died Saturday morning.

Ten other passengers from the sportfisher were transferred to Attessa IV and transported to San Diego, but the Prowler’s captain remained with the boat awaiting a commercial salvage boat.

Details and the cause of the collision remain under investigation.