A 40-year-old boater went missing in waters off Rancho Palos Verdes on Friday evening, prompting a search by the Coast Guard and local fire departments, officials said.
The man was reported missing from his vessel, anchored some 500 yards from the coast, about 9 p.m., according to a statement issued by the Coast Guard. He was described as white, 6 feet 2 inches tall, weighing 220 pounds, with red hair and blue eyes.
The boater was last reported wearing a wet suit and free diving in the area, the news release said, adding that the vessel was left unattended “with personal effects onboard.”
The Coast Guard said it deployed a 45-foot response boat and a helicopter crew as part of the search. Those resources were assisted by Los Angeles County Fire Department lifeguards and the Redondo Beach Fire Department’s Harbor Patrol.
About 11:15 p.m., the county Lifeguards Division announced the search had been temporarily suspended. Dive operations are expected to resume on Saturday morning, the division said on Twitter.
Anyone with information about the missing man’s whereabouts was asked to call the Coast Guard’s command center in San Pedro at 310-521-3805.
*Update* #PVIC Search suspended for this evening. #Dive operations will begin again tomorrow morning. pic.twitter.com/ongp12fWl8
— LACoFD Lifeguards (@LACoLifeguards) April 9, 2016