Search Intensifies for 11 Missing After Boat Capsizes Off Baja Coast; Survivors Treated for Shark Bites

The search is ongoing for 11 individuals still missing after a boat capsized off Mexico’s Baja California coast on Friday. Multiple survivors have been treated for suspected shark bites, according to the US Coast Guard. "Several of the individuals rescued were suffering from severe injuries consistent with shark bites, and the Coast Guard provided life-saving first aid while en route [to] San Diego," the Coast Guard stated on Saturday. Sixteen Mexican nationals were rescued on Friday, and survivors reported that 27 people were on board the vessel. The Coast Guard and US Navy deployed multiple aircraft and boats, with assistance from the Mexican Navy, to scour the area for the remaining passengers. An additional helicopter is scheduled to be deployed later on Saturday.

A Mayday call was transmitted from the boat at approximately 1 a.m. on Friday, according to Coast Guard Lieutenant Santiago Tamburini. A rescue helicopter arrived at the scene about two hours later. It took the crew, which included a rescue swimmer, approximately 90 minutes to retrieve the 16 individuals from the water. The boat went down about 225 km (140 miles) west of Ensenada, Mexico, an area known for fishing and leisure activities, but also frequented by smugglers. Although the incident did not occur in US waters, Coast Guard official Charlie Valor stated on Saturday that they "were able to help, and that’s why we launched our assets."

Past incidents involving fatal attempts to transport refugees and migrants from Mexico to the US have been recorded. In May 2025, at least three people perished when a boat capsized off the coast approximately 56 km (35 miles) north of the US-Mexico border. In 2023, eight individuals lost their lives 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.