Authorities have confirmed that at least three people have died and multiple others are missing after a boat carrying suspected migrants overturned off the coast near San Diego on Monday. Rescue operations are ongoing, with the U.S. Coast Guard, lifeguards, and sheriff’s deputies assisting in the search for other possible victims. Officials believe the vessel was part of a human smuggling attempt, though the exact number of passengers remains uncertain.
Per Fox News, the circumstances leading up to the incident are unclear. Coast Guard officials said they did not know where the 12-foot boat was coming from before it flipped. Coast Guard Petty Officer Chris Sappey said in a statement that “this appears to be a migrant smuggling operation — strictly human smuggling, no narcotics involved — coming from south of the border,” and also noted that at least two children were among those aboard the vessel. In an official statement, the U.S. Coast Guard reported that nine individuals remain unaccounted for following the capsizing of the boat near Del Mar.
One person who had been on the overturned panga — a small, open boat with an outboard motor — told rescuers there were 18 people aboard. However, it is still unclear how many remain unaccounted for, or whether any individuals managed to swim safely to shore at Torrey Pines State Beach.
Encinitas Deputy Fire Chief Jorge Sanchez said that in addition to the three confirmed fatalities, four individuals were taken to nearby hospitals via ambulance for treatment: “we’re continuing a thorough search to ensure no one else is still out there in the water. At this time, we don’t have further updates on those missing or found.”
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department is also involved in the response, assisting with the incident near the 200 block of Stratford Court. They said its deputies are assisting the Coast Guard “with providing life-saving measures related to a maritime event on the beach near the 200 block of Stratford Court.”
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