Missing boater found

A man who was reported missing on his sailboat was found safe in his vessel Sunday night about 46 miles southwest of San Diego, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Sean Haggerty, 39, of San Francisco, was last heard from on Wednesday, when he told a friend via cell phone that his engine and GPS were not working, said Coast Guard Petty Officer Kevin Neff.

Haggerty was aboard the Sea Hag, a white 26-foot sailing vessel, and had been sailing down the coast, stopping at various ports and exploring coastal islands on his southbound trek, Neff said.

He said cellphone records show his last call was made near Point Conception in Santa Barbara County.

Helicopters from Coast Guard Air Stations San Diego and Los Angeles, as well as a C-130 aircraft from Air Sacramento spent the day searching the California coast from Point Conception south to the coast of Mexico, and around 7 p.m., as the searchers were about to head home for the night, the crew of the C-130 spotted a sailboat with one person aboard that matched the description of the Sea Hag, Neff said.

Rescuers were unable to contact the man until they dropped a radio to the boat. The Coast Guard Cutter Haddock was also sent to the scene.

After radio contact was established, the Coast Guard was able to confirm that the boat was the Sea Hag and that Haggerty was in good condition, he said.

Neff said Haggerty had lost his job in the San Francisco area and didn’t have the money to repair the engine on his sailboat, but that he had gotten a job in San Diego, which is why he was sailing there.

He said the Coast Guard will probably tow the boat to San Diego.