At least four people died and four others were taken to a hospital after a boat suspected of carrying migrants overturned off the coast near San Diego on Friday night, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
Border Patrol agents alerted the Coast Guard at about 11:40 p.m. that a panga boat — a flat-bottomed fishing vessel with sharp bows that is powered by a single motor — had overturned, an agency spokeswoman said.
About five minutes later, the authorities received a report of six people who washed up on Imperial Beach, just north of the U.S.-Mexico border, near San Diego.
One person was declared dead at the scene and another, who was found trapped under the vessel, was taken to a hospital, the Coast Guard spokeswoman said. Three other people were taken to a hospital, but their conditions were not immediately known.
Another survivor found on the beach was taken into custody and sent to the Department of Homeland Security, the Coast Guard said.
At about 1:45 a.m. Saturday, a bystander reported seeing three people in the water near Imperial Beach Pier along the coast. Rescuers pulled them from the ocean, but all three had died, the spokeswoman said.
The Coast Guard said it was unclear where the boat came from, but said some of the survivors said they were Mexican nationals.
A search-and-rescue effort was underway as the authorities continued to look for any survivors. The authorities did not release the identities of the passengers.
Though initial reports indicated that eight to 10 people were believed to be on board the boat, it was unclear precisely how many people were on it, the spokeswoman said.
“Our crews and partner agencies responded immediately, but this case demonstrates the severe risks posed to aliens attempting to enter the United States by sea in unstable vessels,” Capt. Robert C. Tucker, the sector San Diego commander for the Coast Guard, said in a statement.
In recent years, United States immigration officials have seen an increased number of migrants trying to enter the country through California.
So far this fiscal year, the San Diego region has ranked among the highest destinations for migrants along the southern U.S. border, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Through the current fiscal year, the San Diego region has reported 960 encounters with migrants, the data shows.
Mark Walker is an investigative reporter for The Times focused on transportation. He is based in Washington.
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