Boat destroyed after running aground on rocks off Laguna Beach

A 30-foot cabin cruiser ran aground on rocks at the north end of Victoria Beach, not far from the pirate tower, closing the shore while city crews clean up debris.

The boat was discovered by city lifeguards around 8:10 p.m. Thursday, said Laguna Beach Lifeguard Capt. Kai Bond.

From 2018, see: Injured sailor pulled from water after boat crashes into Dana Point Harbor jetty

“Lifeguard, police and fire responded and searched the vessel, but found no one on board,” he said, adding the U.S. Coast Guard, Harbor Patrol and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife were also called.

The beach had been closed to the public following the discovery while city crews cleaned up the site Friday. The beach reopened by the end of the day.

“Because the boat was on the rocks and there was surf, it became a removal and cleanup,” Bond said Friday morning.

From 2017, see: Boat crashes onto Newport Beach shore, no injuries reported

With the Coast Guards help, officials have been in contact with the ship’s owner, Bond said, adding it is based out of Belmont Shore in Long Beach and may have lost an anchor and floated away from where it had last been moored.

Officials determined the boat was not involved in “maritime smuggling,” Bond said.