Authorities are still trying to determine what exactly happened off the coast of Dana Point late Sunday afternoon, resulting in one man's death and a 25-foot Bayliner stranded on the sand at Strands Beach.
Late Sunday afternoon, the U.S. Coast Guard received what seemed like a mayday call shortly before the boat ran aground around 6 p.m., according to the OC Register. Waves were reported to be in the 5- to 9-foot range and there were gale force winds, reaching upwards of 25 to 30 m.p.h.
An Orange County Fire Authority helicopter rescued one of the passengers from a rock outcropping, before transporting him to Mission Hospital in Laguna Beach. Mark Benet, 46, of Orange, was pronounced dead at 8:23 p.m. The other three passengers–one male and two females–were rescued as well and survived.
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On Tuesday morning, the boat was still stranded on the shoreline at Strands Beach. Until the tide rises high enough, the vessel is unable to be moved. Yellow caution tape served as the only barrier on a busy Memorial Day, trying to keep beachgoers away from the boat and its exposed propeller blades.
The name of the boat appears to have been removed, but the boat's name, “Jenny B II” can still be faintly read. Inside the boat, the bed in the back is disheveled and a table appears to be overturned.
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