Two men who were fishing off the Palos Verdes coast remain missing Wednesday after the wreckage of a boat that is believed to be theirs was found.
The U.S. Coast Guard was notified just after 5 a.m. Tuesday that the boat was overdue, Lt. Sondra Kneen told City News Service. The men were scheduled to arrive near Cabrillo Marina.
The Coast Guard sent ships to search the area and later aircraft joined the effort, Kneen said.
Other agencies were using drones to search the water, she added.
The fishermen, described as two men in their 50s, launched from Cabrillo Beach Monday and were supposed to return by midnight, KTLA5 reported.
Crews from the Los Angeles County Fire Department began a search at about 5:30 a.m. and found a boat up against the rocks near the 1800 block of Paseo Del Mar, but the men remain missing, the fire department said.
The search comes as authorities were warning the public to stay out of the water at Southland beaches due to large waves and dangerous rip currents.
A high surf advisory was issued by the National Weather Service until 9 p.m. Wednesday for Los Angeles County beaches and 4 p.m. Wednesday for Orange County.
Forecasters said “large breaking waves” of 8 to 13 feet were impacting west-facing beaches Tuesday morning. Those waves were expected to back off to about 6 to 10 feet, but that will still be enough to present a danger.