Boat sinks in heavy surf

High winds caused a sailboat to crash into a jetty and sink on Wednesday, authorities said.

Witnesses who saw the boat go down did not report seeing anyone aboard when it crashed, according to authorities. State and local lifeguards, Coast Guard workers and Orange County Sheriff’s Harbor Patrol officers, though, searched the water near the end of Balboa Peninsula for any possible victims amid high winds and choppy seas, said Jennifer Schulz, spokeswoman for the Newport Beach Fire Department.

The emergency workers fanned out in rescue boats while Newport Beach police searched from the air in a helicopter, Schulz said.

Waves continued to lap the approximately 25-foot sailboat up against the west jetty rocks at the Wedge while rescue workers searched, Schulz said. Harbor authorities were unable to determine the registration number on the back of the boat to identify and contact its owner, Schulz said.

At press time Wednesday rescue workers had not found any indication that anyone was aboard the boat when it crashed.

Lifeguards who saw the crash could not see if anyone was on board, Schulz said. Lifeguards searched the rocks around the boat but did not go in the ocean because of the rough conditions, Schulz said.

A low pressure system that blew into Southern California on Tuesday night fueled the gales.

Forecaster Philip Gonsalves said winds that were 12 mph in the morning shot up to 30 mph by the afternoon, when the boat crashed.

The winds are expected to calm by today, replaced by clouds in the evening and rain by Friday, according to weather forecasters.

Forecasters predict a 40% chance of rain Friday, which is expected to clear before Saturday. As for the dry winds Wednesday, those type of gusts will not be seen again at least for the rest of the week, according to the weather service.