LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A yacht skipper says he lied to Natalie Wood's death investigators 30 years ago and he's blaming her then-husband Robert Wagner for the actress' drowning in the ocean off Southern California.

Dennis Davern tells NBC-TV's "Today" show on Friday that he made mistakes by not telling the truth about events leading to the 1981 Thanksgiving weekend death of the actress.

The Splendour was at the island with Wagner and Wood and her "Brainstorm" co-star Christopher Walken aboard.

Davern says he urged Los Angeles County sheriff's homicide investigators to reopen the case.

The Sheriff's Department announced Thursday that the case has been reopened.

Davern says he believes Wagner had intentionally kept the investigation into her death low-profile and he says he believes Wagner is responsible for Wood's death.