Crews found people and vessel debris about 140 miles west of Ensenada after receiving a mayday call early Friday.
SAN DIEGO, CA — The U.S. Coast Guard rescued 16 people from the Pacific Ocean off Mexico’s Baja California coast after receiving a mayday call from a boat reported to be sinking early Friday, while U.S. and Mexican crews continued searching for 11 people believed to be missing.
The emergency began around 1 a.m. Friday, Oct. 16, when the Coast Guard received a distress call reporting a vessel taking on water. Rescue crews reached an area about 140 miles west of Ensenada, Mexico, where they found people in the water and debris but no intact vessel. A survivor told authorities that 27 people had been aboard, leaving 11 unaccounted for after the 16 rescues.
A Coast Guard helicopter arrived roughly two hours after the mayday call, according to Coast Guard Lt. Santiago Tamburini. A rescue swimmer and the helicopter crew spent about 90 minutes pulling survivors from the ocean. Some survivors were wearing life jackets or clinging to debris when rescuers reached them.
The survivors were flown to San Diego and taken to hospitals for medical evaluation. Two people were reported in critical condition. One survivor was treated for a suspected shark bite, while others were treated for conditions including cold exposure. The Mexican Consulate in San Diego said the rescued people were Mexican nationals and that consular representatives were providing assistance.
The Coast Guard and U.S. Navy deployed helicopters, a fixed-wing aircraft and ships to search the surrounding waters. The Coast Guard Cutter Active and the Navy’s USS Kingsville were among the vessels involved. Mexico’s navy also launched a search-and-rescue operation from Ensenada as authorities worked across a broad section of the Pacific.
Authorities had not determined the type of vessel that sank, where it began its trip or where it was headed. Officials also had not established why the people were at sea. The area is used by fishing and recreational boats as well as vessels involved in maritime smuggling, but the Coast Guard said the circumstances surrounding Friday’s incident remained under investigation.
Coast Guard officials said the vessel had been traveling along a route commonly associated with maritime smuggling operations, but they stopped short of confirming that smuggling was involved. The distinction remained important as investigators worked to establish the purpose of the voyage and gather information from survivors.
The search continued Saturday for the 11 people believed to be missing. U.S. and Mexican authorities had not announced that additional survivors or fatalities had been found, and the Coast Guard said rescue efforts would continue while officials believed there was a reasonable chance of finding people alive.
Author note: Last updated October 17, 2026.