The Coast Guard Cutter Benjamin Bottoms pulls into the Port of Los Angeles channel toward its homeport at Coast Guard Base Los Angeles-Long Beach in San Pedro, California, March 18, 2019. (Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Patrick Kelley.)
An incoming storm forced the United States Coast Guard (USCG) to suspend its search for a fisherman reported missing off the coast of San Diego two days ago.
Sunday afternoon, USCG San Diego received reports that the 42-foot commercial fishing vessel "Defiance" was adrift and unmanned roughly 19 miles west of Point Loma.
Adam Munce, a fellow commercial fisherman and a friend of the missing man, told NBC 7 Tuesday that his friend left to fish for swordfish Friday morning.
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The Defiance was found around 4:30 p.m. Sunday by a friend of the missing fisherman, according to PO1 Adam Stanton, a spokesperson for USCG San Diego.
At USCG's request, the man searched the vessel for his friend but did not find him, according to Stanton.
USCG Cutter Benjamin Bottoms was in the area at the time the fisherman was reported missing and crews immediately began to search for him and his boat.
Local
At around 3 p.m. Tuesday, Cutter Benjamin Bottoms headed back to base in San Diego due to the incoming storm.
NBC 7 Meteorologist Sheena Parveen said waves will average 6 to 10 feet with some reaching 14 feet or higher Wednesday, prompting the NWS to issue a high surf advisory from 8 p.m. Tuesday to 3 a.m. Thursday.
Winds will be another factor during this week's storm.
Adding onto a slew of weather warnings and advisories for this week, the NWS issued a high wind warning starting at 10 p.m. Tuesday to 6 p.m. Wednesday for San Diego's coastal areas.
Investigators aren't sure when exactly the fisherman became separated from his boat.
USCG San Diego Tuesday was asking for boaters who had seen the vessel operating since Sunday, or who may have information about the missing owner of "Defiance," to contact Sector San Diego Investigations Division personnel at (619) 572-2904 or via email at SDIO@uscg.mil.
