At 0600 hours on Tuesday August 5th Baywatch Avalon was notified of a 24 foot power vessel with 1 person on board that ran aground on the backside of Catalina Island. A good samaritan boater discovered the vessel at sunrise and notified the U.S. Coast Guard.
When Baywatch Avalon arrived on scene bringing LACoFD personnel from Fire Station 55 with them, they discovered the vessel aground with the person on board on dry land near Binnacle Rock on the Far East side of Catalina Island.
The adult male stated that his engine had caught fire but he was able to extinguish the flames on his own. After the fire was put out he was unable to start the vessels engine and began drifting dangerously close to shore. He stated the vessel was pushed ashore by swells (from Hurricane Iselle) before he could throw out his anchor and the vessel ran aground.
The boater was stranded on the rugged rocky coastline for 10 hours overnight with no cell service and no working VHF radio to call for help.
He was taken from shore out to Baywatch Avalon using an inflatable rescue board by the Lifeguard Paramedic Deckhand. Once on board Baywatch Avalon the boater was assessed and treated for hypothermia with no other major injuries. The overnight low was 58′F in the area and the ocean temperature was 72′F.
The vessel was deemed not sea worthy to tow and left on scene to be salvaged later. The boater was transported back to Avalon and released