Survivors attacked by sharks after boat capsizes off Baja California coast

Authorities are continuing to search for 11 people believed to be missing after a boat departing from Mexico capsized off the coast of Baja California.

The U.S. Coast Guard said 16 Mexican nationals had already been rescued on Friday, with multiple survivors treated for suspected shark bites.

“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,” said the agency in a statement on Saturday.

The U.S. Coast Guard and Navy are searching the waters using multiple aircraft and boats, along with assistance from the Mexican Navy. An additional helicopter will also be deployed.

The boat capsized in an area frequented by smugglers and did not happen in U.S. waters, according to the Coast Guard.

Survivors told officials there were 27 people on board.

“We were able to help, and that’s why we launched our assets,” said Petty Officer Charlie Valor on Saturday.

The region is popular with fishing and leisure boats, but fatal attempts to transport migrants from Mexico to the U.S. have occurred in the past.

The Mexican consulate in San Diego said all those rescued were Mexican nationals. The Coast Guard said Customs and Border Protection was investigating and interviewing the survivors, but the agency did not immediately respond to requests for updates.

If survivors were witnesses to a crime, they may be eligible for humanitarian parole and permitted to remain in the country for a limited period.

Rescuers were searching the area with helicopters, a fixed-wing plane, a cutter and a Navy combat ship on Saturday. The efforts remain ongoing.

The mayday call

A mayday call was transmitted from someone on the boat about 1am Friday, said Coast Guard Lt. Santiago Tamburini. A rescue helicopter reached the site about two hours later. It took about 90 minutes for the crew, which included a rescue swimmer, to pull the 16 people from the water, Tamburini said.

The boat went down about 140 miles (225 kilometers) west of Ensenada, Mexico. There have been several episodes where migrant vessels capsized en route to California in recent years.

In May of 2025, at least three people died when a boat flipped off the coast about 35 miles (56 km) north of the U.S.-Mexico border. In 2023, eight people were killed in one of the deadliest maritime smuggling accidents off the U.S. coast, when two boats approached a San Diego beach in heavy fog and one capsized in the surf.