Sailboat sinks off Pacifica beach during recovery

The U.S. Coast Guard is working with state and local authorities on the salvage of a 33-foot sailboat that ran aground in Pacifica last weekend and then sank when crews tried to tow it away Wednesday.

The vessel, the Hectate, ran aground after it ran out of fuel with four people and a dog on board, according to the Coast Guard.

Pacifica police had responded around 11:05 p.m. Saturday to a report of a sailboat in distress near Linda Mar Beach.

The four people aboard the boat — a 24-year-old woman from Spokane, Washington, a 33-year-old man from Crescent City, a 49-year-old woman from Long Creek, Oregon, and a 20-year-old woman also from Spokane – were hospitalized with minor injuries.

Coast Guard Sector San Francisco officials have worked with the boat’s owner to ensure a salvage plan was put in place and collaborated with the city of Pacifica, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response, and Global Diving and Salvage.

On Wednesday afternoon, contractors tried to tow the Hectate from the beach but the boat took on water and sank about 600 feet offshore.

Coast Guard officials are continuing to monitor the situation and review future salvage plans now that the boat is underwater, and are asking the public to stay away from the area until it is resolved.

Chief Warrant Officer Jeremiah Winston said in a statement:

“Our top priority is the safety of the public and the responders working on this incident.”

The Hectate was reportedly 8 to 10 feet under water as of Wednesday night. The boat’s owner said there were no hazardous materials or fuel on board, according to the Coast Guard.

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