Two tourists, including a former Navy officer, helped victims beneath the Coronado bridge Sunday after a sailboat and a powerboat collided.
The impact of the rented sailboat and a Bayliner caused several passengers from the powerboat to be thrown into the water south of the bridge shortly before 1:30 p.m.
Three to four people were aboard the sailboat, and nine were on the Bayliner, which started to take on water. Two children were among the larger group.
Investigators will determine whether alcohol played a role in the collision.
The rescuers, on vacation from from Georgia, saw the crash from a rental boat. The one-time officer immediately pulled several victims out of the water before Harbor Police arrived.
The former Naval officer and his companion gave a ride to those from the Bayliner. He and the police took those involved to Pepper Park in National City.
Four people complained of pain, but did not require trips to the hospital.
One of the Good Samaritans, Kary Brownlee, downplayed his role in the rescue to OnScene.TV.
“It’s just what you do, you’re a boater,” he said. “It’s what you’re supposed to do, help out people on the water.”
The Harbor Police towed the severely damaged Bayliner to the park. The renter of the sailboat took it back to its home base on Harbor Island.
– Staff reports