(Image source: NewportBeach.patch.com )

 

BY STEVEN SPARKMAN

 

Authorities have called off the search for the fourth person in a deadly yacht accident which killed three others this weekend. CBS has more .

 

“The Aegean was reported missing on Saturday during a race from Newport Beach, California, to Ensenada, Mexico. Search crews say the boat was in such small pieces it looked as if it had gone through a blender.”

 

The yacht went missing Friday night or Saturday morning. Other racers reported seeing debris on Saturday. It’s still not clear what happened to the yacht, though there was no rough weather and no signs of fire in the wreckage. The BBC reports the most likely explanation is a collision with a commercial ship.

 

“An official at the sailing club organising the race suggested that in light winds the yacht may not have been able to get out of the way of the larger vessel. Other participants in the race said they saw a tanker or heard warnings on their radios.”

 

The president of the U.S. Sailing Association said a special panel will be appointed to investigate the accident and reevaluate the organization’s safety rules. But another sailing association member defended the race’s safety record, calling the accident -quote “a fluke.” CNN explains .

 

“Their boat was taking part in the Newport to Ensenada yacht race this weekend. … They are the first deaths in this race’s 65-year history.”

 

This accident comes just two weeks after another deadly boating accident, when a yacht capsized and smashed into rocks during a different race.