Luis Pena”A Perfect Storm” it wasn’t, but...

Luis Pena

“A Perfect Storm” it wasn’t, but for Ron Ainsworth and Delphine Lee

of Corona del Mar, it may have felt like it as they heard cries of

help coming from their ocean backyard early on Mother’s Day.

Ainsworth turned on their home’s flood lights at 4:15 a.m. and saw

that a boat had run aground. Lee immediately dialed 911.

Lee said they’ve dealt with drunken teenagers, beached whales,

noisy animals, people falling off rocks and people entering their

backyard after being trapped by the waves below their cliff-side home

on Brighton Road, but never anything like this.

“I’ve lived here for 20 years and this is the most excitement I’ve

seen,” Lee said.

The boat was adrift two miles out to sea when the crew woke up to

a crash, said Sgt. Mike Scalise, of the Orange County Sheriff’s

Harbor Patrol.

Three of the crew members abandoned ship and boarded a skiff,

heading safely ashore, Newport Beach Fire Department officials said.

The fourth crew member was found in a tide pool suffering from

hypothermia and minor injuries. He was taken to Hoag Hospital, where

he stayed briefly before being released.

Ainsworth and Lee said they didn’t feel like heroes for having

called authorities for help, saying they were only concerned about

the safety of the five men.

Mike Greyshock, of L.A. Harbor Bait Co., said the Pamela Rose, a

60-foot, steel-hulled bait boat based out of Newport Beach, had no

leaks and that their main concern was about the boat getting banged

up against the rocks. To protect the ocean, fuel tanks were capped

and sealed to prevent any of the ship’s fuel from leaking, said

Ensign Erik Sumpter of the Coast Guard. Officials said the ship was

carrying between 600 and 700 gallons of fuel.

The captain of the boat told authorities that he and his deckhand

had fallen asleep, which resulted in the accident, said Michael

McDermott, warden for the California Department of Fish and Game. The

rest of the crew had completed its duties and was off for the night.

The captain was tested for drugs and alcohol and came up negative,

McDermott said.

The Pamela Rose is still at Cameo Shores Beach, and is set to be

moved to Newport Harbor between 1:30 and 2 a.m. Tuesday, when the

tide would be at its peak, McDermott said.

* LUIS PENA is the news assistant and may be reached at (949)

574-4298 or by e-mail at [email protected].