Troubled Sailboat Draws Rescuers

Lifeguards and firefighters rescued three people near the Wedge on Saturday when their sailboat started having engine trouble, a fire official said.

At about 2:35 p.m., emergency crews responded to a call about a 28-foot sailboat being swept into the surf line and finally aground at P Street, according to Jennifer Schulz, of the Newport Beach Fire Department.

"As it came toward shore, it entered the surf line, which was a consistent 3- to 5-foot-high sets of waves," Schulz explained. "Lifeguards responded to the scene and assisted the individuals safely to the beach, just before a set of waves thrashed the boat in the shore break."

One man was treated for mild hypothermia at the scene, but did not require hospitalization. The Orange County Sheriff's Harbor Patrol pulled the sailboat off the beach and it was towed into the harbor.