Boat Capsizes Off Baja California: 11 Still Missing as U.S. Coast Guard and Navy Keep Searching

Boat Capsizes Off Baja California: 11 Still Missing as U.S. Coast Guard and Navy Keep Searching

A boat carrying 27 people went down early Friday

A vessel capsized in the Pacific Ocean off Mexico's Baja California peninsula in the early hours of Friday, October 16. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the boat went down roughly 140 miles (225 kilometers) west of Ensenada, Mexico, outside U.S. territorial waters. Survivors told officials there were 27 people on board, which left 11 unaccounted for after 16 were pulled from the sea.

A mayday call, then a helicopter two hours later

Coast Guard Lt. Santiago Tamburini said someone on the boat transmitted a mayday call at about 1 a.m. Friday reporting that the vessel was sinking. A rescue helicopter reached the scene about two hours later, and the crew — which included a rescue swimmer — spent roughly 90 minutes hauling the 16 people out of the water. "People were holding onto each other, to debris, just treading and trying to stay above water before being rescued," Tamburini said.

The search goes on, with an extra helicopter added

The operation has not been called off. The New York Post reported that the Coast Guard said an additional helicopter would be deployed later Saturday. As of Sunday, none of the 11 missing people had been found, and no further survivors had been located.

Survivors' injuries consistent with shark bites

In a statement released Saturday, the Coast Guard said several of those rescued were suffering severe injuries "consistent with shark bites," and that its crews provided life-saving first aid while transporting them toward San Diego. Authorities said one survivor was being treated for a suspected shark bite and two people were in critical condition. Three others were evaluated at a separate facility in San Diego and discharged.

Helicopters, a plane, a cutter and a Navy warship

The Associated Press reported that Saturday's search involved helicopters, a fixed-wing plane, a cutter and a Navy combat ship. The San Diego Union-Tribune said the helicopter came from Ventura and the fixed-wing aircraft from Sacramento, with vessels dispatched from bases around California. The Mexican Navy is also assisting.

Officials say it did not happen in U.S. waters

The Coast Guard said the capsize occurred in an area frequented by smugglers and did not take place in U.S. waters. "We were able to help, and that's why we launched our assets," Petty Officer Charlie Valor said on Saturday.

A suspected smuggling boat with an unknown route

The AP noted that the boat's origin, destination and purpose were not clear. The Mexican consulate in San Diego said all those rescued were Mexican nationals. U.S. Customs and Border Protection is investigating and interviewing the survivors, but the agency did not immediately respond to requests for updates.

A stretch of ocean long used by smugglers

The waters west of Ensenada are popular with fishing and leisure boats, but they are also a well-worn corridor for smugglers moving migrants toward the United States. Several migrant vessels have capsized en route to California in recent years. In September, the Mexican Navy intercepted two yacht-type vessels near Ensenada and rescued 45 Mexican nationals — 41 men, one woman and three minors.

The rescued are Mexican citizens; investigators step in

All 16 people rescued were Mexican citizens, according to the Mexican consulate in San Diego. Customs and Border Protection has taken over questioning of the survivors as part of its investigation into whether the voyage was a smuggling run. Officials have not released the full identities of the 27 people reported aboard, nor offered a confirmed explanation for why the boat capsized.

What happens next

The search continued through the weekend with no official announcement that it would stop. None of the 11 missing people had been located, and Coast Guard and Navy crews were still working the sea and air off California. The cause of the capsize, who organized the trip and whether a smuggling network was involved all remain under investigation.