One of the boaters rescued from a sinking vessel offshore Santa Barbara last week has died, and another remains in critical condition, Harbor Patrol Lt. Ryan Kelly said Monday. 

Crews from the Harbor Patrol and the NOAA Shearwater research vessel responded Friday morning to a mayday call from a recreational motor boat, and found four passengers in the water. 

The Shearwater was first to arrive at the scene, and a crew member immediately jumped in and swam the boaters – three adults and a child – to the rescue vessels. 

Two adults were unconscious when they were pulled from the water, said Sean Hastings, the policy, management and information officer for the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary NOAA office.

The rescue swimmer took one to the Shearwater and one to the Harbor Patrol boat, and the respective crews started CPR. 

Both vessels took the rescued boaters to the Santa Barbara Harbor, where city police, fire and medics were waiting. 

All four people were transported to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, including two who had CPR in progress, Santa Barbara City Fire Battalion Chief Jon Turner said. 

One of the adults died and the other, who the Harbor Patrol transported to shore, survived, Kelly said.

“We’re happy to hear that he made it to the hospital and now in the ICU, but he’s still critical,” Kelly said Monday. 

The two others were treated and released, including the child, he said. 

The Coroner’s Bureau had not released the name of the deceased person as of Monday.

The Harbor Patrol reported the fatal boating accident and is part of the investigating team.

Investigators have confirmed four people were on board at the time of the accident, and the vessel, a 24-foot Skipjack motor boat, was registered in Azusa, California. 

A big piece of evidence, the boat itself, is missing.

“We can’t locate it,” Kelly said. 

Most of the vessel was underwater, except the bow, when rescuers responded to the distress call. 

Kelly said the responding salvage company, TowBoatUS, attached floatation and lights to it, but a helicopter search over the weekend couldn’t locate the vessel. 

It could have sunk or drifted, he said. The ocean is about 150 feet deep in that area, he added. 

Determining a cause will be hard without raising up and examining the boat, Kelly said. 

Kelly said fatal boating accidents are rare here, but wanted to remind people to follow safety regulations. 

“Wear your life jackets, because it definitely saved the child’s life,” Kelly said. “I compare it to a seatbelt in a car — it’s something you just have to do.” 

The three adults were not wearing life jackets, he added. 

Under California law, children under 13 years old have to wear a life jacket on boats, unless they are in an enclosed cabin. Others need to have them on board and accessible.

Thankfully, this group was following that rule, and the child under 13 was wearing one, Kelly said.