Migrant boat capsizes off San Diego; four dead as Coast Guard hunts for survivors
Migrant boat capsizes off San Diego; four dead as Coast Guard hunts for survivors
Coast Guard crews search stormy seas after a wooden skiff carrying migrants capsizes near Imperial Beach, San Diego, leaving multiple fatalities and more people hospitalized.
A wooden skiff believed to have been ferrying migrants toward the U.S. capsized in stormy seas off Imperial Beach near San Diego, leaving at least four people dead and four hospitalized, the Coast Guard said. The Border Patrol found the vessel in the surf late Friday night. Six people were found on the beach just before midnight, one of whom was pronounced dead and another who was rescued after being found under the boat. About two hours later, authorities received a report of someone in the water near Imperial Beach Pier. A Coast Guard crew responded and found three people in the ocean, all dead. The Coast Guard said it was continuing to search for others who may have been on board. Several of the survivors claimed Mexican nationality, while others remained unidentified. One person was turned over to the Department of Homeland Security. Our crews and partner agencies responded immediately, but this case demonstrates the severe risks posed to aliens attempting to enter the United States by sea in unstable vessels. A strong storm system hit Southern California over the weekend, prompting warnings of flash flooding and mudslides. The vessel was a panga — single- or twin-engine open fishing boat that is also commonly used by smugglers. Migrants are increasingly turning to the risky alternative offered by smugglers to travel by sea to avoid heavily guarded land borders, including off California’s coast. Pangas leave Mexico in the dead of night and sometimes chart hundreds of miles north. There have been several incidents in recent years of migrant vessels capsizing en route to California. In May, at least three people died when a panga flipped off the coast about 35 miles (56 km) north of the U.S.-Mexico border. In 2023, eight people were killed when two migrant smuggling boats approached a San Diego beach.
Cover image source: 4 Dead After Suspected Migrant Boat Overturns Near a San Diego Area Beach 🔗
