Authorities have identified the man who was killed Wednesday night when a 45-foot pleasure boat he was on slammed into the jetty at the entrance to Alamitos Bay.
John Correa, 59, of Long Beach, died of injuries, though the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has not determined an exact cause of the death.
Correa was among 11 people aboard the boat, called the 4 Kings, when it crashed into the rock jetty at about 9:20 p.m. as it returned from a social gathering on the water that lasted a few hours, one of the passengers said.
The passenger, Barry Vince, was among a group that was below deck in the galley area when the crash happened. He said the collision was sudden and unexpected.
“We didn’t know what happened,” he said. “We just immediately started trying to help people who were hurt.”
He said about half the passengers, including Correa, were above on the flybridge, and those individuals sustained the most serious injuries.
He said a group of fishermen who were on the jetty at the time helped hold a line that kept the ship close to shore as the passengers evacuated from the ship, which was quickly sinking.
Vince said he had known Correa for a few years, and that he was well known in Long Beach.
“He was a very well-respected guy,” Vince said. “Just a great guy who was always smiling and always positive.”
A fire official said seven people were transported by paramedics, and three were in critical condition after the collision on Wednesday.
Speed is being investigated as a possible factor in the crash, Capt. Jack Crabtree, a spokesman for the Long Beach Fire Department, said.
Long Beach marine safety officials on Friday placed air bag lifts around the vessel to keep it afloat until Saturday, when the tide will be more ideal to tow it from the water, Crabtree said.
The Long Beach Marine Division and the Coast Guard are handling the investigation.
Editors note: This story has been updated to reflect that the vessel will be moved Saturday when the tide is more ideal.