On Nov. 11, at 8:40 pm two men were outside of the Ventura Harbor on Friday night lobster fishing when their 15 foot skiff was hit by a 5 foot wave and was overturned outside of the rock groin on Greenock Lane, just adjacent to Marina Park. Both men in their 60’s were fully clothed and attempted to swim to shore. They both became separated as they entered the surf line. A resident on Greenock Lane made contact with one man as he made it to shore, the other mariner was not found and 911 was contacted.
Ventura City Firefighters with the assistance of many agencies responded into the area and began a coordinated search for the missing boater. The last point of contact was determined, and a search commenced– from the shore, in the ocean, on the jetty, and in the air. Ventura Port District, Coast Guard and the Oxnard Fire Department searched the surf line with boats and personal water craft.
Ventura County Copter 9 and Coast Guard Air Helicopter performed a patterned search pattern by air. A group of 6 ocean rescue swimmers deployed from the surf line and performed a coordinated search where the missing man was last seen. They also searched from Greenock Jetty to the Sand Trap (that is adjacent to the north jetty harbor entrance). As one of the Rescue Ocean Swimmers was searching within the surf, he was approached and bumped by a juvenile, 6 foot long– great white shark. No rescuers were injured. All swimming personnel were removed from the search; but air operations, shore search groups, and those searching on watercraft continued.
The vessel had drifted into shore and fractured parts of the boat had scattered onto the beach. The vessel was temporarily secured.
The intense search continued for nearly two and a half hours. Dark conditions, increasing offshore winds, and moderate surf complicated the search. Just before midnight, the incident was turned over to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department and the United States Coast Guard, who has ultimate authority beyond the water line. An extended search will continue through the night and the Ventura County Sheriff’s department will size up the conditions in the morning and will determine how they will proceed.
As of Nov. 23 he has not been located.
From the Harbor Patrol blotter
8:41pm, received a dispatch to a water rescue off Greenock lane, a capsized 16ft vessel with a 65 year old fisherman unaccounted for. Officers responded and began a search for the missing person with Ventura Fire, Oxnard fire, U.S. coast guard and VC sheriff. The call was eventually turned over to VC Sheriff and the U.S. coast guard.
8:00am, continuing the search for the lost fisherman with U.S. coast guard and VC sheriff search and
rescue.
3:30pm, called off the search for the missing fisherman for the day.
