Overview
- Coast Guard watchstanders received a radio distress call early Friday about a vessel taking on water about 140 miles west of Ensenada and rescue teams pulled 16 people from the ocean and sent them to San Diego hospitals.
- After an 89-hour, multiagency effort that covered roughly 2,441 square miles, the Coast Guard announced it had suspended active searching for an estimated 11 people still unaccounted for.
- The Coast Guard said three of the rescued sustained injuries consistent with shark bites and officials have not released further medical details.
- Initial reports cited about 27 people aboard the makeshift vessel, but officials say the total number of passengers is unconfirmed and that reconciling counts is a central focus of the probe.
- With active search operations paused, federal investigators will examine the circumstances of the voyage, whether criminal smuggling played a role, and work with Mexican authorities and consular officials on identification and next steps.