Four people died after a panga boat capsized off the San Diego County coast early Saturday, and at least one survivor was taken into federal immigration custody, authorities said.
The small capsized fishing boat was first spotted south of the Imperial Beach Pier shortly before 12 a.m. late Friday by agents with the U.S. Border Patrol’s San Diego Sector, according to Gerardo Gutierrez, a public affairs officer for the agency.
Border patrol agents contacted the U.S. Coast Guard, which began a search for survivors near South Seacoast Drive and Encanto Avenue. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department joined in the operation, public information officers said.
Imperial Beach Fire Chief John French told Sideo TV that four people had died.
At least five people were rescued from the water and taken to a hospital, Gutierrez said.
Most of those rescued are of Mexican nationality, and one of those individuals was transferred to the Department of Homeland Security, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Buoys offshore of Imperial Beach measured rough seas of 6 feet and individual waves of up to 12 feet on Friday night, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
“Our crews and partner agencies responded immediately, but this case demonstrates the severe risks [of] attempting to enter the United States by sea in unstable vessels,” said Capt. Robert Tucker, Sector San Diego commander.
The Imperial Beach Border Patrol Station monitors six linear miles of land border from the Pacific Ocean to the San Ysidro Port of Entry, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
This story originally appeared on LA Times
