Search continues for 11 missing after boat sank off Mexico’s Baja coast

Search continues for 11 missing after boat sank off Mexico’s Baja coast

The full report

The search continues for 11 people still missing after a boat capsized off Mexico’s Baja California coast on Friday, according to the US coastguard. The incident occurred in an area popular with fishing and leisure boats, but also frequented by smugglers. The coastguard and US Navy used multiple aircraft and boats, along with assistance from the Mexican Navy, to search the area for the remaining passengers.

Multiple survivors have been treated for suspected shark bites, according to the US coastguard. The coastguard provided life-saving first aid while en route to San Diego. Sixteen Mexican nationals were rescued on Friday. Survivors told officials there were 27 people on board.

A Mayday call was transmitted from someone on the boat at about 1am on Friday, coastguard Lieutenant Santiago Tamburini said on the day. A rescue helicopter reached the site about two hours later. It took about 90 minutes for the crew, which included a rescue swimmer, to pull the 16 people from the water.

The boat went down about 225km (140 miles) west of Ensenada, Mexico. Although the incident did not happen in US waters, coastguard official Charlie Valor said on Saturday they “were able to help, and that’s why we launched our assets”. Fatal attempts to transport refugees and migrants from Mexico to the US have occurred in the past.