Four people have died and five others were injured after a small boat believed to be carrying migrants capsized off the coast of San Diego early Saturday. The incident occurred near Imperial Beach, where border patrol officers discovered a wooden skiff in the surf just before midnight.
One person was pronounced dead at the scene, and another was rescued after being found trapped under the vessel. The Coast Guard later recovered three bodies from the ocean near Imperial Beach Pier. Several survivors were taken to hospital, and some claimed Mexican nationality, while others remain unidentified.
Coast Guard Captain Robert Tucker said the case highlights the severe risks faced by those attempting to enter the US by sea in unstable vessels. The search for additional victims continued, with crews scouring the water overnight.
This is the latest in a series of deadly migrant boat incidents off the California coast. In May, at least three people died when a vessel capsized north of the border, and in 2023, eight people were killed in a similar smuggling boat accident near San Diego.
Worldwide, nearly 9,000 people died while attempting to cross borders last year, setting a record for the fifth consecutive year, according to the UN migration agency.
