Boat Sinks Off Long Beach Bluffs

An unoccupied boat began sinking today off the shore of Long Beach, roughly near Redondo Avenue, and authorities were trying to determine the owner of the ``derelict'' vessel, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

The 40-foot boat was seen about 7 a.m. a short distance from shore, said Matthew Dobberpuhl of the Long Beach Fire Department. No boaters were in distress, he said. LBReport.com has this story and great photos as the boate sank.

Crews stabilized the boat, anchoring it offshore, and a hazardous- materials team was dispatched to clean up a small amount of fuel that spilled into the water, Dobberpuhl said.

Motorists on their morning commute complained that the helicopters drew lookyloos and created gridlock as rubberneckers slowly drove by to get a glimpse of whatever news was happening.

--With City News Service reports