One Sinks, Another Damaged : Sportfishing Boats Carrying 32 Collide; All Aboard Safe

One sportfishing boat sank and another was badly damaged as the result of a collision in the early morning darkness off San Diego Tuesday.

There was a total of 32 people aboard the two vessels and all were rescued by other sportfishing boats except for the crewmen on the damaged vessel who remained aboard while it was towed to port. Three people were slightly injured.

The scene of the 3 a.m. crash was near the Coronado Islands, a popular fishing area.

The two vessels in the collision were the 50-foot Temptress, with five passengers and three crew members, and the 65-foot Aztec, with 19 passengers and five crew members.

The San Diego-based Temptress sank within an hour of the collision, according to witnesses. The Aztec, from Long Beach, was towed to San Diego by a salvage vessel.

No Warning

One fisherman aboard the Temptress said the accident occurred without warning.

“I was knocked out of bed and heard the crunching of the two bows,” said Ralph Nelson, 45, a Newport Beach businessman. “A voice behind me said, ‘Let’s get out of here.’ ”

Nelson said the entire right portion of the Temptress’ bow was missing. Within half an hour, the crew and passengers had abandoned ship, and by 4 a.m. the only part of the boat still above water was the mast, he said.

The cause of the collision had not been determined, according to Lt. Larry Solberg of the Coast Guard marine safety office in San Diego and Coast Guard officials late Tuesday were still trying to piece together all the facts of the accident. They had yet to to interview Curt Wegener, the skipper of the Aztec, who remained on the vessel while it was towed to port.

Weather Not Factor

Nelson said the weather was not a factor in the collision. He said there was a three-quarter moon and no fog. The Temptress was heading south, and the Aztec, returning to port after a two-day fishing trip, was northbound.

Those aboard the Aztec were rescued by the sportfishing boat Grande 85. A passenger on the Grande 85 said that floodlights and the Aztec’s recent fish catch attracted sharks during the rescue. He said many of those on the Aztec were partly dressed and without shoes.

The New Lo-An, which also responded to the distress calls, rescued the eight people aboard the Temptress, skippered by Craig Stanton.

The Coast Guard was unable to estimate the cost of the collision but other charter-boat owners said it would cost about $75,00 to replace the Aztec, the larger of the two boats.