Three Dead, Seven Missing in Capsizing off San Diego

Three people are dead and seven are missing after a rustic vessel capsized off Del Mar Beach in San Diego, sending the passengers into the water. 

At about 0630 hours on Monday morning, Coast Guard Sector San Diego received an alert from local first responders that a panga-style vessel had overturned off Del Mar Beach. Pangas are small, rustic wooden vessels used for fishing in Mexico, and are often encountered in drug-smuggling and human trafficking cases. 

At least 16 people had been aboard the boat. Three individuals were found dead at the scene, and four more were injured. Good Samaritans walking on the beach were first to the scene and administered CPR, according to the local fire department. 

From the accounts of the survivors, the first responders determined that about seven more people were missing and possibly lost at sea. Initially the number was believed to be as high as nine people, but two individuals were found on land and detained, leaving seven missing. 

Sector San Diego launched a Jayhawk helicopter, a response boat and a C-27 Spartan aircraft to conduct a search. The combined assets covered more than 500 square nautical miles over the span of 28 hours. 

On Monday night, the Coast Guard suspended its search operation pending further developments. 

The occupants of the boat were likely to be migrants, Coast Guard Petty Officer Chris Sappey told media, though stressing that their status was not confirmed. "They were not tourists," he told AP.