Two fishermen in their 50s remain unaccounted for after their boat was found overturned on the rocky shores of Palos Verdes Estates in Southern California early Tuesday. The men had embarked on a fishing trip from Cabrillo Beach on Monday, expected to return by midnight.
Despite their boat being overdue and having been reported missing, dangerous weather conditions along the Southern California coast have hampered search and rescue efforts. According to a statement obtained by KTLA, L.A. County Fire Ocean Lifeguard Specialist Jake Miller said, "We pretty much saturated everything from the cliff all the way out into the ocean as best we could with nothing found." Beachcombers Finley Murphy and Olivia Mozian were collecting shells along the Paseo Del Mar shoreline when they encountered the boat's wreckage. "The [boat] was completely overturned," Murphy stated.
An expansive search was launched by the Los Angeles County Fire Department, with the use of drones, rescue boats, and helicopters, as reported by NBC Los Angeles. In addition, the U.S. Coast Guard joined the effort, dispatching ships and aircraft into the area.
Notably, search conditions were deemed particularly difficult due to high tide, thick fog, and a marine layer. As a result, officials have decided to scale down the search, opting to monitor the area by air over the next several days, detailed KTLA.
Amid these developments, a high surf advisory was issued, warning of large waves and dangerous rip currents at area beaches, complicating rescue operations further, as Jake Miller, LACoFD Ocean Lifeguard Specialist, told ABC7. The authorities have not released the names of the two men, who were described as being in their 50s. Paseo Del Mar at Cloyden Road, which had been closed during the investigation, has since reopened, authorities confirmed.
