Daijiworld Media Network- Los Angeles
Los Angeles, May 6: A grim tragedy unfolded off the coast of Del Mar near San Diego, California, as a suspected human smuggling boat capsized, leaving at least three people dead and nine others unaccounted for, according to US authorities.
The ill-fated vessel, believed to be a panga — a small, open fishing boat commonly used in smuggling operations — washed ashore just north of Torrey Pines State Beach early Monday morning. Officials from multiple agencies, including the US Coast Guard (USCG), launched a massive search and rescue effort in response to the emergency call.
The boat is said to have been carrying at least 16 individuals, including two children. A survivor who managed to reach responders revealed that nine others, possibly including one or two minors, were still missing. Authorities later confirmed the recovery of three bodies on the beach.
California State Parks confirmed the victims’ deaths, while four others were pulled from the water and administered CPR on-site. Three of them were rushed to nearby hospitals for further treatment.
The Encinitas Fire Department reported that three individuals sustained mild to moderate injuries, while one person remains in critical condition.
The rescue operation, spearheaded by the USCG, is being carried out with the support of San Diego Fire-Rescue helicopters, a 45-foot Coast Guard vessel, and water-based response teams equipped with personal watercraft and rescue boats.
Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla confirmed the arrival of four patients — three women and one man — who are being treated for respiratory failure. Two of them are in their 30s, one is a teenager, and details of the fourth patient are yet to be released.
Smuggling activities along the California coastline have become alarmingly frequent in recent years, as migrants attempt to circumvent heavily guarded land routes. Authorities say smugglers often overload vessels with no regard for safety, rarely providing life vests or emergency equipment.
A Border Patrol official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that "these kinds of maritime smuggling incidents are not only illegal but incredibly dangerous, often ending in preventable loss of life."
This latest incident echoes a devastating event in 2023, when eight migrants lost their lives after two smuggling boats attempted to land on a fog-covered beach in San Diego — one of the worst maritime smuggling tragedies in recent US history.
Authorities are continuing their search operations off the Del Mar coast, hoping to locate the missing individuals as time becomes increasingly critical.