On Monday morning, a small boat capsized in the rough waters near the coast of San Diego, California, resulting in the tragic deaths of three individuals, injuries to four, and nine people reported missing.
Authorities have stated that the U.S. Coast Guard dispatched ships and helicopters to search for the missing individuals, and the four injured have been taken to the hospital for treatment. Coast Guard officials mentioned that the small boat, measuring 12 feet (3.6 meters) in length, had an unknown origin.
The U.S. Coast Guard posted on social media platform X that they are conducting search operations for the nine missing individuals approximately 15 miles north of downtown San Diego.
Lt. Nick Backouris from the San Diego Sheriff’s Department stated that hikers and others at Torrey Pines State Beach reported seeing a boat capsizing near the San Diego coast around 6:30 a.m.
A Panga boat is an open-hulled vessel designed for fishing, often utilized by smugglers for illegal activities.
In 2023, two migrant smuggling boats approached the San Diego beach in heavy fog, with one of the vessels capsizing in the waves, leading to the deaths of eight individuals. This incident marked one of the deadliest human smuggling activities in the history of the United States.
(The content is adapted from an Associated Press report)