3 killed in boat mishap off Catalina Island are identified

Three people died and four were hospitalized after a small boat capsized off Santa Catalina Island on Saturday morning.

The boat capsized about 9:30 a.m. with seven men aboard after being hit by big waves, said Spencer Parker, a spokesman with the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Three men were dead when rescue crews arrived and four survivors were rescued and transported to hospitals, he said. The three men were later identified as Kyung Hwan Kim, 47, Jason Jung Noh, 62, and Young Joon Park, 64.

Two of the survivors were pulled out of the water by a good Samaritan from a charter vessel that reported that the 22-foot skiff had overturned, authorities said. A Coast Guard helicopter crew member rescued another person from some rocks in the water.

A Catalina Island Conservancy officer found the seventh boater on the beach.

Two survivors were in fair condition and two others in critical condition at local hospitals, sheriff’s officials said.

Waves in the area were reported to be 4 to 6 feet high, Coast Guard officials said.

The incident occurred off Salta Verde Point on the “back side” of the island, Parker said.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s homicide division is investigating the three deaths, which is standard procedure in such incidents.

abby.sewell@latimes.com

Twitter: @sewella

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UPDATES:

8:55 a.m.: This post has been updated to include identities of victims.

10:00 p.m.: This post has been updated with new details about the victims.

4:46 p.m.: This post has been updated with more details about the rescue operation.

This post was originally published at 1:22 p.m.