4 Sailors Rescued From Overturned 18' Boat in Long Beach Harbor

Early Sunday morning, 4 passengers clinging to the side of an overturned small boat were rescued from the water by Los Angeles County Lifeguards.

A tanker saw the hapless sailors and called County Lifeguards at 6:20AM. The County Fire Department Lifeguard Division was on scene minutes later, in the waters just off Long Beach.

" Long Beach Fire Department Rescue Boat 2 found an 18′ Aluminum Crestliner capsized with 4 passengers in the water," says the Lifeguard press release. "The passengers had been clinging to their overturned vessel for about an hour before being spotted. No injuries were reported however, patients are being evaluated by LBFD for possible hypothermia." Anyone in the water for more than a few minutes is treated for hypothermia, since we're not thermally designed to float.

Baywatch Cabrillo righted the boat and towed it back to harbor.

"Los Angeles County Fire Department Lifeguard Division recommends always carrying a water resistant VHF Radio on your vessel and person for emergencies just like these," says the department press release.

While the US Coast Guard does generally handle such emergencies, in this case the lifeguards were closer, and time means life in such situations.