1 Person Killed, 1 Injured In Redwood City Boating Accident

One person was killed and one injured Wednesday evening when a sailboat with a broken mast taking part in a weekly casual race near Redwood City collided with a channel marker buoy.

On Thursday morning, Sequoia Yacht Club Commodore Winston Bumpus identified the dead man as 39-year-old Yong Sun of Burlingame. The injured person had a head injury but was expected to live. Police also said the skipper of the boat had passed a sobriety test.

There were four people aboard - not five as originally reported. The remaining two were uninjured.

According to the Sequoia Yacht Club, which organized the event, every Wednesday is "Beer Can Racing" night, which is the name for any casual race.

The Coast Guard learned shortly before 7 p.m. that a 42-foot Catalina sailboat named "Bella" had collided with a marker buoy in a channel outside Redwood City, according to Coast Guard Lt. J.G. Mark Leahey.

The collision prompted Redwood City firefighters to race to Chesapeake Drive and Seaport Boulevard  near the yacht club around 6:40 p.m. to help. Firefighters tweeted out that the sailboat had a broken mast.

"Bella" had struck the buoy and become entangled, Leahey said.

Other boats in the area were having trouble reaching the damaged boat due to the shallow water, Leahey said, though there was a U.S. Geological Survey boat nearby, which was able to assist.

Racing is suspended for the next two weeks.

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