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The body found Sunday by fishermen in the waters off the Coronado Islands has been positively identified as that of Theo Mavromatis, the 49-year-old skipper of the yacht that crashed during a popular race, killing all occupants aboard.The body had been turned over to coroner's officials in San Diego County, who have since determined that Mavromatis, an experienced sailor, died of blunt-force injuries, according to City News Service.
Redondo Beach resident Mavromatis was the skipper of The Aegean, a 37-foot boat he and three other men were racing in the annual Newport-to-Ensenada sail. The boat went off the tracking system for the race just before 1:30 on April 28, and by sunrise, floating debris indicated the ship had run into perilous danger.
The first three bodies were discovered soon after. Investigation of the accident suggests The Aegean collided with a much larger vessel, like a military ship or cargo steamer, however the precise cause of the fatal accident has not been determined. Investigations of this nature take about 4-6 weeks, say officials on the case.
Two of the men aboard, like Mavromatis, died of blunt-force trauma, while the fourth died of drowning. The deaths were the first in the 65-year history of the race.
