At least three people were killed, four others injured, and nine remain missing after a...
At least three people were killed, four others injured, and nine remain missing after a small panga-style boat believed to be carrying migrants capsized off the coast of San Diego, authorities said on Monday.
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said emergency crews, including the U.S. Coast Guard, responded to the incident around 6:30 am following reports of the overturned vessel near Torrey Pines State Beach.
Rescue teams pulled four individuals from the water and transported them to a nearby hospital for treatment, while three others were pronounced dead at the scene.
The Sheriff’s Department confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that officers from North Coastal Sheriff’s Station were actively searching for the nine missing individuals about 15 miles north of downtown San Diego.
Officials provided no further details about those aboard, including the three who died. It remains unclear whether anyone managed to reach shore independently and leave the area.
According to the Coast Guard, at least two of the nine people still unaccounted for are believed to be children. Around 16-18 people could be on board the ill-fated boat.
The officials said they were unsure of the origin of the 12-foot boat before it overturned.
Rescue operations are underway
Personnel from the Encinitas Fire Department and U.S. Customs and Border Protection joined sheriff’s deputies and Coast Guard teams in responding to the emergency.
As per media reports, a San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD) helicopter is sweeping the area north and south of where the boat washed ashore, searching for any additional victims who may still be in the water. Lifeguards are also combing the shoreline using boats and jet skis.
Hikers and beachgoers at Torrey Pines State Beach reported seeing a boat capsize near the shore around 6:30 a.m., Lt. Nick Backouris of the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department told the Associated Press.
“A doctor who was hiking nearby called in and said, ‘I see people performing CPR on the beach—I’m running that way,’” Backouris said.
More migrants are risking dangerous sea journeys with smugglers to bypass heavily fortified land borders — including routes off California’s coast. Pangas often depart from Mexico under the cover of darkness, sometimes traveling hundreds of miles north.
Originally developed for fishing in regions like Central America and Southeast Asia, pangas are small boats known for their speed, shallow draft, and ability to navigate choppy coastal waters.
They are also a common choice for smuggling, as they can travel swiftly and discreetly along shorelines while carrying cargo or passengers.
In 2023, one of the deadliest human smuggling incidents in U.S. history unfolded when two such boats neared a San Diego beach in dense fog. One of them overturned in the surf, leaving eight people dead.
Nearly 9,000 people died last year while attempting to cross borders, according to the UN migration agency, marking a record high for the fifth consecutive year.
The U.N. Missing Migrant Project reports that over 24,506 people have died or gone missing in the central Mediterranean between 2014 and 2024, many of them lost at sea. The actual number may be higher, as numerous deaths often go unrecorded.