One killed, four injured after boat capsizes off Sonoma County coast
SONOMA COUNTY – A boat capsized Monday off the Sonoma County coast with deadly consequences, marking the third such incident this month, authorities said.
Around 1:45 p.m., the sheriff’s office was alerted to a boat in distress near Salmon Creek, spokesperson Misti Wood said.
Five adults were on the vessel, Wood said. One did not survive. Four others were taken to area hospitals.
Few details were available about the incident Monday evening, but Wood noted that it involved a recreational boat and happened while the area was under an advisory for hazardous marine conditions. The occupants, she added, were crabbing when the vessel capsized.
The sheriff’s office Marine Unit is investigating the incident.
Two other fatal boating incidents have happened in the area this month. Three men and two teen boys were killed on Nov. 2 when rough waters swamped their 21-foot vessel near Carmet Beach. A 13-year-old San Jose boy survived the ordeal by clinging to an ice chest.
On Nov. 4, a man was killed when his boat capsized near Mussel Point, south of Salmon Creek.
“It’s unusual to have this many boating accidents in such a small period of time on the Sonoma coast,” Wood said.
Wood said the incidents are a reminder of the importance of “good boating safety,” which includes understanding weather conditions and wearing the “right lifejacket for the right activity.”
“When you’re wearing a lifejacket, it should feel snug,” Wood said. “It should feel like a hug.”
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