Last Updated on May 3, 2021, 7:04 AM AST by Anthony Morris
US: Four people were killed and about two dozen people injured after a boat got into trouble off the coast of San Diego during an alleged smuggling operation.
Officials said the overcrowded 12-foot cabin voyage broke on a reef near Point Loma Sunday morning, causing about 30 people to tip over in the water.
A major rescue operation has been launched to help injured people on the shore and rescue seven people from the sea.
Officials said the captain was in custody on suspicion of smuggling.
“Every indication from our perspective is that it was a smuggling vessel that illegally smuggled migrants to the United States,” said Jeff Stephenson, an officer for the border patrol.
Photos taken at the scene of the boat incident today. 40’ cabin cruiser broke up along the rocks inside the surf line. The @SDLifeguards cliff rescue veh was used to extricate one patient up to street level. pic.twitter.com/lQ54UdBWBG
— SDFD (@SDFD) May 2, 2021
“We have not confirmed the citizens of those involved, but our agents are with many of them in the hospital and the man who we believe was the operator. The investigation is still unfolding.”
Rescuers were notified of the incident near the Cabrillo National Monument around 10:30 local time (17:30 GMT).
Rick Romero, of the San Diego Fire Rescue Lifeguard, said initial reports indicated that three or four people needed help, but they quickly realized it was going to be a bigger situation with more people.
“When we arrived on the scene, the boat was basically broken apart,” he said. “The conditions were tough: five to six foot waves, windy, cold.”
Authorities believe the boat was used to smuggle migrants to the US
He said people were in the water taken by the ravine to the sea, while people ashore needed CPR and treatment for hypothermia and other injuries.
In a statement, the U.S. Coast Guard said 29 people had been set off, including 24 people alive, four dead and one in critical condition.
Footage of the scene showed large pieces of debris washing up on the beach. Jet skis, three more lifeboats and specialist rescue equipment, including cranes, were brought in to help with the rescue.
At the same news conference, Mr. Stephenson said it is not yet known where the boat came from, but many smugglers come from the Baja coastline in Mexico.
“The smugglers, they do not care about the people who exploit them. “All they care about is profit for them,” he said. ‘These people are just commodities. So you can see that the way they handle it, insufficient safety equipment really vessels that are poorly equipped and give it minimal. ‘
Stephenson said there was a 92% increase in the number of sea smuggling concerns in 2020 compared to the previous year.
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced on Friday that it would increase its patrols on the coastline over the weekend to try to deter smugglers.
Border patrol agents detained 21 people – 15 men and six women – early on a small open boat, a panga, off the coast of San Diego. They were Mexican citizens with no legal status to enter the US, the CBP said. Two suspected smugglers on board the boat will face federal charges.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
