Overview
- Alejandro Cabrera Iturriaga, 17, originally from San Juan and living in Chile, remains missing after a sudden current carried five youths off Cuatro Esquinas beach.
- Officials say the search is being led by the Maritime Governor’s Office of Coquimbo with the patrol vessel Arcángel, GOPE, firefighters, municipal crews, artisanal fishermen and drones, with media reporting more than 150 responders.
- The Armada announced an aerial component would join the effort, and teams have been sweeping the coast from Playa Blanca to the Peñuelas cove with sea and shore patrols.
- Rescuer Francisco Boldo, a construction worker cycling by, entered the surf and saved four of the group; he later criticized response timing and methods, describing his account to local media.
- Authorities emphasize the area’s permanent red flag and lack of seasonal lifeguards before December 15, noting rapidly shifting conditions and strong rip currents driven by southern winds.