Crime & Safety

One Dead, Three Rescued In Dana Point After Memorial Day Weekend Boating Accident

Four people were aboard a 30-foot boat that later sank near Dana Point on Sunday evening. One man was airlifted to a hospital where he later died, according to officials. The boat remained beached on Wednesday.

One person died and three others were rescued after their boat sank off Dana Point Harbor on Sunday evening, according to U.S. Coast Guard officials.

The dead man is identified as Mark Benet, 46, of Orange, who was hoisted onto a helicopter and taken to Laguna Beach where he died at 8:23 p.m. Sunday. 

According to a news release from the Coast Guard, another man and two women  were aboard the recreational boat when it became pinned against the rocks and a wave swept them overboard about 7:30 p.m. Sunday.

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Coast Guard Command Center personnel in San Pedro heard a brief, unidentifiable mayday call about 6 p.m.  Orange County Fire Authority rescue personnel found the boat pinned against the rocks as a large swell engulfed it, sweeping the passengers overboard.

None of the boaters were wearing lifejackets.

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At the time of the accident, waves were estimated to be 9 to 10 feet high.

The boat remained in place until Wednesday, when a crane was brought in to lift it. The boat will be towed back to the harbor when authorities have completed their investigation, officials said.

The Coast Guard and local Marine rescue personnel urge boaters to wear lifejackets. In 80 percent of boating fatalities, the cause of death is drowning.  Of those victims, more than 90 percent were not wearing a lifejacket. Here are the requirements:

  • All vessels must have at least one type I, II, III, or V personal flotation device that is Coast Guard-approved, wearable and of the proper size for each person on board. Sizing for PFDs is based on body weight and chest size.
  • One type IV U.S. Coast Guard-approved PFD must be on board vessels 16 feet or longer (except canoes and kayaks) and readily accessible, in addition to the above requirement.
  • All PFDs must be in good condition and readily accessible.
  • California law requires children under the age of 13 to wear a Coast Guard-approved PFD  (unless they are in an enclosed cabin) in a vessel 26 feet long or less.
  • Inflatable PFDs are acceptable for persons age 16 and older if they are wearable, activated by both pull and oral inflation features, and Coast Guard-approved.
  • Every person on board a personal water vehicle or being towed behind a vessel must wear a Coast Guard-approved type I, II, III or V PFD.
  • People using underwater maneuvering devices (diveboards) are exempt from wearing a personal flotation device.


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