San Diego

Preliminary indications from an investigation into the pre-dawn collision Tuesday between two sportfishing boats carrying a total of 32 people point to operator error, the Coast Guard reported Wednesday.

“When the weather conditions are clear, and the sea conditions are calm--and there’s a collision--the normal presumption is that the operators were negligent,” Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. David Tiffany said. “An investigation is being done to determine whether there are any other facts that may explain the accident.”

The collision between the 50-foot Temptress, which was carrying five passengers and three crew members, and the 65-foot Aztec, which was carrying 19 passengers and five crew members, occurred a little before 3 a.m. near the Coronado Islands, a popular fishing area. Three people suffered minor injuries, the Coast Guard reported.

On Wednesday, a Coast Guard helicopter responded to a distress call about 8 p.m. after a crew member on board a sportfishing boat got his hand caught in a hatch and severed several fingers.

Tiffany said the accident occurred about 100 miles southwest of San Diego on board the Champ, operating out of Fisherman’s Landing in Point Loma. He said the crew member, whose age and name were unavailable Wednesday night, was being flown to a hospital in San Diego.