Three people were found dead, four were taken to the hospital and nine others were missing after a panga overturned in the waters off Torrey Pines State Beach Monday morning, according to authorities.
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office said several agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard, responded to the area just after 6:30 a.m. due to a report of a capsized boat.
WATCH: Scripps News Group team coverage with the initial details on this crash
According to a Coast Guard official, three people were killed in the crash, four people were located and needed medical assistance, and nine others were considered unaccounted for. The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office says the people who died were all men.
As of 3 p.m., three of the people taken to the hospital were in mid-moderate condition, while one was in critical condition, according to the City of Encinitas.
Both the City of Encinitas and California State Parks say that preliminary reports indicate 18 people were on the boat. A City of Del Mar official told ABC 10News that the four people who were rescued were taken to Scripps La Jolla Hospital for treatment.
The Department of Homeland Security says this was a maritime smuggling incident.
“This tragic maritime incident off the coast of San Diego is a stark reminder of the dangers posed by maritime smuggling. The ruthless smuggling of undocumented individuals is not only illegal, it’s deadly,” said Shawn Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of HSI San Diego. “This loss of life underscores why such criminal activity will never be tolerated. HSI San Diego will diligently pursue every lead to ensure that those responsible are identified, arrested, and held fully accountable.”
The following agencies responded to search for any survivors:
- U.S. Coast Guard
- San Diego County Sheriff's Office
- U.S. Border Patrol
- Del Mar Fire Department
- Encinitas Fire Department
- Department of Homeland Security
As of 2 p.m., the Coast Guard was still searching for the nine people who were unaccounted for; coast guardsmen were flying a plane above the area for the search.Border Patrol and DHS agents were seen searching the streets in the area to see if anybody who may have survived ran into the neighborhoods near the crash site.
The incident is still under investigation.
During a story taking a closer look at how the Coast Guard tries to prevent these smuggling events, the military branch provided the following numbers on how often they've happened dating back to fiscal year 2020 (numbers include CBP interceptions as well):
- FY 2020: 292 smuggling events
- FY 2021: 307 smuggling events
- FY 2022: 583 smuggling events
- FY 2023: 703 smuggling events
- FY 2024: 561 smuggling events
- FY 2025 (as of March 31): 260 smuggling events
This story was originally published by Jermaine Ong with the Scripps News Group.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
