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Search Suspended For Boater Missing After Deadly Vessel Collision Off Catalina Island

CATALINA ISLAND (CBSLA.com) — The U.S. Coast Guard on Sunday evening suspended its search for a boater who went missing after a deadly vessel collision in the water off the coast of Santa Catalina Island.

The man who died in the collision was also identified by family as Michael Harris, son of former San Francisco 49ers Chief Executive Peter Harris.

Coast Guard boats spent all day Sunday looking for a boater who went missing after a collision between a boat and a dinghy shortly after 1 a.m. on Sunday. The collision took place northeast of Casino Point near Descanso Bay.

One person was killed and three others were injured. The injured boaters were taken by helicopter to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, the Coast Guard said. Two of the boaters had minor injuries, while a third sustained a head injury.

First responders on Sunday were coordinating their search efforts for the missing boater at Casino Point.

The identities of those involved have not been released by authorities.

However, a man and a woman identified themselves on Facebook as the parents of the man who was killed in the accident. They said their son, 26-year-old Michael Harris, was from San Francisco and was on the dinghy with his girlfriend, who was also injured in the accident. The victim's father is former San Francisco 49ers Chief Executive Peter Harris.

"Today our family, the community and, yes, the world, lost a truly spectacular young man. Our son Michael died this morning while living his life as he did everyday, with kindness, friendship, love of family, caring for others, having fun, being a friend, and as one of the really good guys," Peter Harris wrote on Facebook. "He was killed early this morning in a wasteful and tragic event while a passenger in a boat that was hit near Catalina."

"Michael leaves behind the extraordinary joyous memories for so many that he touched. Jan and I as well as David and Richard, brothers with whom he was really close, really did love him and as important, we liked him a lot, not just as our son or brother, but because of the essence of who he was everyday to everyone," the post said.

The cause of the crash is under investigation. Authorities said they do not believe the boat operators were impaired.

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