US coastguard rescues 16 after boat sinks off Mexico’s Baja coast

What the report says

The US coastguard said it rescued 16 people after a boat sank in the Pacific Ocean off Mexico’s Baja California coast, about 225 km west of Ensenada. The incident was reported after a Mayday call early Friday, and officials said the search was continuing for 11 people believed to be missing. According to Al Jazeera’s report, the response involved a rescue helicopter, boats and other aircraft from both the coastguard and the US Navy.

A coastguard lieutenant said the helicopter reached the scene roughly two hours after the distress call, and the rescue crew took about 90 minutes to pull the survivors from the water. The Mexican consulate said the people rescued were Mexican nationals. Authorities also said one survivor was being treated for a suspected shark bite and two others were in critical condition.

The survivors were flown to San Diego, California, and taken to hospitals, while the Mexican consulate there said it was providing assistance. Officials said the boat’s origin, destination and purpose remain unclear, and no vessel was found at the scene, only debris. The area is known for both fishing and leisure traffic as well as suspected smuggling routes, which adds context to the ongoing search and investigation.