Mexicoupdated 1h ago2 min read
U.S. Coast Guard Rescues At Least 16 From Pacific Off Mexico’s Baja California
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At least 16 people rescued by U.S. Coast Guard off Baja California. Survivors found about 140 miles west of Ensenada; others still missing.
Rescue Off Baja Coast
The U.S. Coast Guard rescued at least 16 people from the Pacific Ocean off Mexico’s Baja California coast in the predawn hours of Friday after the agency received reports of 27 people in the water.
Petty Officer Chris Sappey said, "There was no sight of a vessel in the water, just straight people in the water," as authorities searched for several others.
The Coast Guard sent air and surface crews about 140 miles west of Ensenada, Mexico, and it continued searching using a helicopter, a fixed-wing plane and a cutter.
The Coast Guard coordinated with Mexican authorities and deployed air and sea assets to continue the search, while the number of people still missing had not been confirmed.
No Vessel Found Yet
Petty Officer Chris Sappey told authorities that the Coast Guard responded to a report of a vessel in distress at around 1 a.m. local time.
Sappey said, "There was no sight of a vessel in the water, just people in the water," and he said one rescued person reported as many as 27 people had been on board a boat.
The Coast Guard was assisting Mexican authorities in the search efforts with a helicopter, a fixed-wing plane and a cutter, while rescuers had not located a vessel at the scene.
The U.S. Coast Guard official also said it was unclear how the people ended up in the water, and authorities had not released additional details about the vessel or the circumstances that led to the emergency response.
Hospitals and Ongoing Search
The Coast Guard said the rescued people were being taken to hospitals in San Diego, with Sappey describing the response as a major rescue operation underway near the coast of Baja California.
WRAL reported that one person was being treated for a suspected shark bite, and hospital spokesperson Janice Collins said three of the people rescued were taken to Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego.
The Coast Guard and U.S. Navy assisted Mexican authorities in the search with two helicopters, a fixed-wing plane and a cutter, while messages seeking information were left for San Diego’s Fire-Rescue Department.
The search could help establish whether additional people survived, how many were aboard the missing boat, and what led to the emergency, as further updates were expected.