Oct. 18, 2026, 6:23 p.m. ET
SAN DIEGO — Eleven people remained missing on Oct. 18 after a boat carrying 27 people capsized off the coast of Baja California, and several survivors suffered injuries consistent with shark bites, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
The Coast Guard’s Southwest District said watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector San Diego received a radio distress call at about 1 a.m. local time on Oct. 16 reporting a vessel taking on water about 140 miles west of Ensenada, Mexico. Search crews were deployed to the area and rescued 16 people, who were later transferred to local hospitals for medical evaluation.
Three of the people rescued “sustained injuries consistent with shark bites” after the boat, which departed from Mexico, capsized, the Coast Guard said in a statement to USA TODAY. The agency had no updated information on the survivors’ medical conditions as of Oct. 18.
“Coast Guard personnel provided lifesaving first aid during transport to San Diego, where all 16 individuals were transferred to awaiting emergency medical services personnel for further evaluation and treatment at local hospitals,” the agency said in the statement.
Reports to the Coast Guard “indicated that there may have been 27 people aboard,” according to the agency. The Mexican consulate in San Diego confirmed that all of the rescued were Mexican nationals, The Associated Press reported. USA TODAY reached out to the consulate for comment.
The Coast Guard said search-and-rescue efforts were ongoing with support from the U.S. Navy and Mexican Navy. No additional people had been found as of Oct. 18, according to the agency.
Debris found after boat capsizes off Baja California
The Coast Guard said crews from Air Station Ventura, Air Station Sacramento and the Coast Guard Cutter Active were deployed after the distress call. The USS Kingsville and a Navy helicopter assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23 also joined the response.
Crews located debris from the vessel while searching the area, according to the Coast Guard. Lt. Santiago Tamburini told NBC 7 San Diego that rescuers initially found debris and floating seats believed to be connected to the vessel after receiving the distress transmission.
“To my knowledge, all we found was debris and certain floating seats that are starting to give us a better idea of what vessel it may have been,” Tamburini said. “We cannot yet confirm whether this vessel was part of that enterprise or just a recreational or commercial fishing vessel.”
Brian Raines, assistant fire chief for the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, told NBC 7 San Diego that about 60 fire and medical personnel responded, including 13 ambulances that transported the victims to local hospitals.
Latest maritime incident near California coast
Migrant vessels have capsized while attempting to reach the California coast in recent years.
“This case highlights the extreme dangers of taking to the sea,” Coast Guard Capt. Robert Tucker, commander of Coast Guard Sector San Diego, said in a statement. “The vessel had a large number of people onboard and was following a route normally used in illegal maritime smuggling operations. Offshore conditions are unforgivable and can quickly result in death.”
In May 2025, a panga-style vessel carrying migrants capsized in heavy surf near Del Mar, north of San Diego, killing at least four people, including a 14-year-old boy from India, according to authorities. His 10-year-old sister was presumed dead after she disappeared in the incident.
Authorities later found a human foot near a beach, and DNA analysis identified the remains as those of a 10-year-old child who had been aboard the vessel, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California. Earlier this year, prosecutors said two boat captains pleaded guilty in connection with the incident.
In March 2023, eight people died after two suspected smuggling boats approached a San Diego beach during heavy fog and rough surf conditions. The incident was one of the deadliest maritime smuggling tragedies in the area.
Experts previously told USA TODAY that the risks for such voyages are severe, and often involve overcrowded and poorly maintained vessels purposely piloted in weather providing low visibility to avoid detection.
Contributing: Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY
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