World
US Coast Guard Searches for 11 Missing After Baja California Boat Capsizes
The US Coast Guard is continuing a search for 11 people who remain missing after a boat capsized off the coast of Baja California on Friday. Sixteen Mexican nationals were rescued, and several survivors were treated for suspected shark bites. The Coast Guard provided life‑saving first aid to the injured while transporting them to San Diego. Officials say there were 27 people on board. The Coast Guard and US Navy used aircraft and boats, and the Mexican Navy assisted the search. An additional helicopter will be deployed later on Saturday. A Mayday call was transmitted from the boat at about 1 a.m. Friday, and a rescue helicopter arrived roughly two hours later. It took about 90 minutes for the crew, including a rescue swimmer, to pull the 16 people from the water. The boat went down about 225 km (140 miles) west of Ensenada, an area popular with fishing and leisure boats and also frequented by smugglers. Although the incident did not occur in US waters, Coast Guard official Charlie Valor said the agency was able to help and launched its assets. Fatal attempts to transport refugees and migrants from Mexico to the US have occurred in the past. In May 2025, at least three people died when a boat flipped off the coast about 56 km (35 miles) north of the US‑Mexico border. In 2023, eight people were killed in one of the deadliest maritime smuggling accidents off the US coast, when two boats approached a San Diego beach in heavy fog and one capsized in the surf.
Frequently asked questions
How many people were rescued from the capsized boat?
Sixteen Mexican nationals were rescued.
How many people are missing after the incident?
Eleven people remain missing.
Where did the boat capsize relative to Ensenada?
The boat went down about 225 km (140 miles) west of Ensenada.