Three separate investigations were launched after a 33-foot Coast Guard response boat struck a Sea Ray during the Festival of Lights parade in San Diego Bay on December 20, killing 8-year-old Anthony DeWeese. The collision occurred amid heavy recreational boat traffic as spectators gathered for the annual holiday event.

The boy’s family is considering legal action against the Coast Guard, according to family attorney Michael Neil. The Coast Guard has said its internal inquiry could take up to a year to complete, a timeline the family’s lawyer called “ridiculous.” Neil described the collision as a straightforward accident he believes was caused by the Coast Guard boat operating at an excessive speed given the conditions.

The involved recreational vessel was a 2003 Sea Ray 240 Sundeck, a bowrider commonly known to measure roughly 24 feet; some accounts described the private boat as about 26 feet long. The Sea Ray, with its navigation lights on, was moving slowly at idle — about 3 to 4 mph — as it waited south of Harbor Island for the parade to begin, Neil said.

The Coast Guard boat was a foam-collared aluminum special-purpose craft powered by triple 275-hp outboards. Coast Guard San Diego spokesman Lt. Josh Nelson said the vessel was responding to a report of a grounded boat at the time of the collision. The Coast Guard has not released the exact speed or other operational details pending its investigation.

Alan DeWeese, 44, the Sea Ray’s operator and an experienced lifelong boater, attempted evasive action when he saw the Coast Guard vessel approaching at high speed. Neil recounted that DeWeese had one hand on the throttle and one on the wheel, turned to look and saw the response boat closing rapidly. After briefly expecting the boat to veer, DeWeese realized it would strike the Sea Ray directly. He gave full power and turned hard to starboard in a last effort to avoid impact, but the Coast Guard boat hit the stern before the maneuver could take effect.

Anthony DeWeese died of blunt force trauma, according to published reports. He had been seated in the transom seat. After the strike, searchers found the child beneath a hatch door to the boat’s head that had been blown off in the collision. In total, 13 people were aboard the Sea Ray: six adults and seven children, all under the age of 11. Five other passengers were injured, including two children; their injuries were reported as nonfatal and they were expected to recover.

None of the five Coast Guard crewmembers were injured. The Coast Guard and the San Diego Harbor Police are conducting concurrent investigations, and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has opened a separate probe. NTSB public affairs officer Peter C. Knudson said that the NTSB investigation could take 12 to 18 months. Investigators remained on scene into mid-January to interview occupants from both vessels and to gather evidence.

Investigators will analyze electronic navigation data from the Coast Guard boat and perform surveys of both vessels involved. Knudson confirmed that drug and alcohol tests for the five Coast Guard crewmembers and for Alan DeWeese were negative.

At a press briefing four days after the collision, Rear Adm. Joseph Castillo, commander of the Eleventh Coast Guard District, urged patience while the formal inquiries proceed. “We’re all going to want to have the answers before the investigations are completed,” he said, adding that a deliberative process is necessary to gather accurate, complete information and to take measures to prevent similar tragedies in the future.

Local boaters had previously complained about seeing Coast Guard boats operating at high speed in the bay. The Coast Guard responded that rapid movement of its vessels can reflect training exercises or search-and-rescue operations. According to Coast Guard material, the special-purpose craft involved is capable of accelerating quickly, with a reported top speed in excess of 60 mph and a rapid time to plane — facts the public may not always understand in context.

The area of the parade was heavily congested with recreational boats. Neil noted that the nearest vessel to the Sea Ray was only about 50 feet away and said independent witness accounts verified that the Sea Ray’s stern light was on. He also questioned the urgency of the Coast Guard response, noting the grounded vessel reportedly did not present an immediate threat to life or a risk of sinking.

As investigators from the Coast Guard, the San Diego Harbor Police and the NTSB continue their work, the family awaits results and is preparing for potential legal remedies. The collision remains under active review as authorities reconstruct events and analyze data to determine cause and accountability.