The following is text of a news release from the U.S. Coast Guard:
(SAN DIEGO) — The Coast Guard medevaced an injured person via helicopter and rescued 17 passengers after a vessel collision Saturday near the maritime boundary line.
The crew of the 332-foot yacht Attessa IV contacted Coast Guard Sector San Diego's Joint Harbor Operations Center watch standers at approximately 7:50 p.m. reporting a collision with the 65-foot sportfisher Prowler, approximately nine miles offshore of Imperial Beach, that resulted in extensive damage to the starboard quarter of the sportfisher and multiple injuries.
A Coast Guard Sector San Diego MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew and a Coast Guard Station San Diego 45-foot response boat-medium crew were dispatched to respond. The Coast Guard cutter Sea Otter was also diverted to assist.
Crews arrived on scene at approximately 8:45 p.m. The Jayhawk crew hoisted a critically injured passenger and returned to Sector San Diego where awaiting EMS took the man to UC San Diego Medical Center-Hillcrest.
The RB-M crew transferred 17 passengers, two reporting injuries, from Prowler and took them to Sector San Diego.
The remaining 10 passengers were transferred to Attessa IV and are scheduled to return to San Diego, while the captain remained aboard Prowler.
Sea Otter remained on scene with Prowler awaiting commercial salvage.
The cause of the collision is under investigation.
