Overview
- A small panga-style boat carrying migrants overturned near Torrey Pines State Beach early on May 5, resulting in three confirmed deaths and four injuries.
- The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search late May 5 after failing to locate seven missing individuals, including two Indian children, despite an extensive multi-agency effort.
- Four survivors, including an Indian couple whose children remain missing, were hospitalized with respiratory failure at Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla.
- The San Diego County Sheriff's Office is leading the death investigations, while the Consulate General of India is assisting affected Indian nationals.
- The incident highlights the dangers of maritime smuggling, with overloaded panga boats frequently used to evade heavily fortified land borders along the U.S.–Mexico route.