At least eight people have died and seven others are missing after two boats capsized near a beach in San Diego, in the US state of California, late Saturday night 11. According to local authorities, there is suspicion that the boats have been used for illegal immigration activities.
According to US Coast Guard Petty Officer Richard Brahm, a woman in one of the panga-style boats — small, open boats with outboard motors — called 911 to report that a vessel had capsized off Black’s Beach. “The witness you called said the boat that capsized had 15 people on board, but that’s just an estimate,” Brahms said.
Crews from the Coast Guard and San Diego Fire Department pulled eight bodies from the water. However, thick fog made it difficult to save more casualties. The searches continued this Sunday 12 and the authorities waited for the weather to improve to have the support of the helicopters.
Lifeguards found “lifeless bodies and two overturned pangas scattered over an area of about 400 meters,” said firefighters spokeswoman Monica Muñoz. “Several life jackets and barrels of fuel were also found.”
“Often these boats are overcrowded, poorly maintained,” said James W. Spitler, Coast Guard sector commander for the Pacific region. He further stated that bad weather and poor visibility would have made it “very challenging for anyone to operate in those conditions”. “They were probably one of the few sailors at sea.”
Daniel Eddy, deputy chief of operations for the San Diego Fire Department, said there was a long trail of debris on the beach. The stretch of sand is also known as Torrey Pines City Beach and Torrey Pines State Beach – the city of San Diego and the state of California share management of the space.
Coast Guard Petty Officer Eddie Berrios confirmed that eight people were dead and crews were looking for at least seven more. He didn’t know what kind of boats they were, but he said that pangas used by illegal immigrants often landed on that beach. There was no information about the arrests and the nationality of the passengers on the boats. (With international agencies).
Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
