16 rescued from Pacific Ocean near Mexico coast

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 16 Oct, 21:14 · Archive

At least 16 people have been rescued from the Pacific Ocean about 140 miles off Mexico's Baja California coast.

At least 16 people were rescued from the Pacific Ocean about 140 miles west of Ensenada, off Mexico's Baja California coast, after the US Coast Guard responded to a report of a vessel in distress at around 1am PDT on Friday. One of those rescued said as many as 27 people had been on board the boat, with others remaining unaccounted for. The group was found floating in the water with no sight of a vessel in the water.

The rescued people were being taken to hospitals in San Diego, California. The US Coast Guard was assisting Mexican authorities using a helicopter, fixed-wing plane and a cutter. It remained unclear how the group ended up in the water or details of their journey.

Small open-air fishing boats known as pangas have historically been used by smugglers to transport people by sea from Baja California to the United States, travelling hundreds of miles at night. These crossings are dangerous, particularly in rough seas and poor weather, and several boats carrying migrants have capsized off the San Diego coast over the years.

How it is being reported

• US coastguard rescues 16 after boat sinks off Mexico’s Baja coastEleven people are believed to be still missing, with rescue operations under way.Al Jazeera · 17 Oct, 02:33
• 16 people found floating in the sea 140 miles off Mexico coast with 'no sight of boat in water'At least 16 people have been rescued in waters about 140 miles off the coast of Baja California, Mexico, while a number of others remain missingThe Mirror · 16 Oct, 19:53

In this story: Baja California · Mexico · US Coast Guard · San Diego · Ensenada

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem