What happened that clear, moonless night in the Catalina Channel is still very much a mystery.
A Santa Ana couple were going for a midnight cruise to Santa Catalina Island, and a huge 128-foot barge was lumbering toward the Port of Los Angeles.
Radar shows the two mismatched vessels colliding sometime between midnight and 12:20 a.m. Oct. 2. The impact smashed the small boat, but the pilot of the barge didn't even know an accident had occurred.
Later that morning, the debris was found.
On Thursday, two bodies were pulled from the ocean. They are believed to be those of Henry Sanchez, the brother of two Southland congresswomen, and his girlfriend Penny Avila, who were described as experienced boaters.
Investigators are still trying to figure out how their small craft collided with the barge and sank to the ocean floor.
"It looks like this was a very tragic accident," said Los Angeles County Sheriff's Chief William McSweeney, whose dive teams were involved in the search. "Our hearts and prayers go out to the families."
Those familiar with the waters between Los Angeles and Catalina said the roughly 22-mile-wide channel can be a congested mix of huge freight ships, fishing vessels, small pleasure craft and tour boats.
During the day, everyone can see each other. At night, boaters can feel blinded.
"It would be like driving without their headlights," said Rick Roberts, waterfront director of the Long Beach Yacht Club. "It's not a smart thing to do unless you have to."
During the day, GPS devices can guide boats precisely to their destinations, said Bob Brown, a spokesman for the Southern California Marine Assn., who also pilots his own craft to Catalina about eight times a year.
After dark, the number of boats clears out, but navigation can be much tougher.
GPS would keep you on course, but not tell you about the obstacles in between, he said. A radar system would help you get an approximate size and speed, but you would not know exactly what was approaching.
"The ability to see exactly what is there, you just can't replace that," he said. "There's no substitute for human sight."
Since 1997, there have been nine accidents in California's coastal waters involving boats and barges that resulted in six injuries and the two latest fatalities, said Gloria Sandoval, spokeswoman for the state Department of Boating and Waterways.
