Fisherman seriously injured when boat runs aground in Santa Barbara

A fisherman suffered a serious head laceration and was taken to the hospital Wednesday evening after his lobster boat ran aground in Santa Barbara, according to the Santa Barbara City Fire Department.

Only one person was aboard the 25- to 30-foot Martha Jane, which ended up on the shoreline below Mesa Lane, fire Battalion Chief Jim McCoy told Noozhawk.

The man, whose name was not available, was taken by AMR ambulance to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, McCoy said. Details on his condition were not available.

The details of the incident were unclear, McCoy said, but the man apparently became trapped somewhere on board and was unable to control the vessel, McCoy said.

Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol boats and a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter were monitoring the boat before its grounding at about 5:40 p.m., McCoy said.

A witness, who asked not to be identified, said he found the boat on the sand being battered by the surf, with the prop still running.

The captain was trapped in the fish well by a 4-by-4-foot ice box, the witness told Noozhawk.

The vessel, which is based at the Santa Barbara Harbor, remained on the shoreline Wednesday night, with some 100 gallons of diesel fuel on board, McCoy said, adding that plans were being made to salvage the boat and its equipment.

Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.