Video: 1 Child Killed, Another in Grave Condition When Family Car Plunges into Water at Port of LA

A vehicle with a family of four inside went into the water at the Port of Los Angeles today, killing one boy and gravely injuring another.

Two adults found swimming in the water near Berth 73 were in fair condition, Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department said.

It was not immediately clear how the vehicle ended up submerged and overturned in water estimated to be 30 feet deep. Los Angeles police detectives were investigating.

Firefighters were called to the scene about 6:10 p.m., Humphrey said.

LAFD rescue divers freed the trapped children, Humphrey said.

One was later pronounced dead and the other was in grave condition, said Officer Nuria Vanegas of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Media Relations Section. The deceased boy was 13 and the one in grave condition is 8, according to KNX-AM (1070).

Ninety-six fire department personnel responded to the scene along with four fireboats, Humphrey said.

Divers continued to search the vehicle and surrounding water as a precaution after freeing the two children, Humphrey said.

City Councilman Joe Buscaino, who lives in San Pedro, praised LAFD firefighter Miguel Meza, who jumped into the channel after the car “... with a family of four drove into the water.”

“This man is a true hero in the City of Angels and I am so proud of him,” Buscaino said on his Facebook account.

• City News Service
• Photo credits: Twitter user KTLA ‏@KTLA

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