San Clemente Island - Los Angeles Times

Five men were rescued early Friday from San Clemente Island after they abandoned their fishing boat, which ran up on the rocks after drifting during the night, authorities said. The

Tommeysi, a 63-foot steel-hulled commercial boat based in San Pedro Harbor, was fishing for sea urchins and had anchored in a harbor on the northwest side of the island for the night, said

Lt. Larry Solber, senior investigating officer for the Coast Guard in San Diego. Solber said the crew stayed awake most of Thursday night, keeping watch on the boat, which was being whipped

by gusts of wind up to 35 knots. After falling asleep around 3:30 a.m., however, they awoke at 5 to find the boat had run aground, he said. The five jumped overboard and waded through the

surf to land, Solber said, without suffering any major injuries. The Coast Guard picked the men up at 5:50 a.m., he said. The boat was still afloat Friday afternoon, with damage to its

propeller and rudder. A private company was called in to attempt to salvage the craft, Solber said. The five crew members aboard were identified as Lowell R. Jundy, the boat’s owner and

operator; Hector Melendez, Nyong T. Gwon, Michael Muir and Roy C. John. The five are from the Los Angeles and San Bernardino areas. MORE TO READ