San Diego, CA–United States Coast Guard responded to a boat fire Thursday morning near Carlsbad.
Coast Guard Sector San Diego watchstanders received several reports of a boat, 50 feet in length, on fire approximately seven miles off the Carlsbad coast around 9 a.m.
Coast Guard watchstanders dispatched an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew and diverted the Coast Guard Cutters Munro, Benjamin Bottoms, and the Haddock.
While Coast Guard assets were en route, the Oceanside Harbor Master confirmed that the boat’s name was the Relentless. The Harbor Master saw the boat leave the Oceanside Harbor heading towards Carlsbad Thursday morning and stated that the owner lived aboard the boat and was presumed to have been alone.
The Coast Guard cutters arrived on the scene and worked together to extinguish the boat fire while the Jayhawk helicopter crew searched for survivors. The boat sustained significant damage and eventually sank in approximately 1,800 feet of water.
The Jayhawk crew conducted search patterns for more than six hours spanning over 600 square miles with no sightings of survivors.
The three Coast Guard cutters are still searching.