3 Dead, 11 Missing After Boat Believed to Be Carrying Migrants Capsizes Near San Diego

‘They were not tourists,’ U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Chris Sappey says. ‘They are believed to be migrants.’

A Del Mar lifeguard looks over a capsized boat at Torrey Pines State beach in San Diego, Calif., on May. 5, 2025. Denis Poroy/AP Photo

Three people lost their lives and 11 remain missing after a small boat believed to be carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Del Mar, near San Diego, early Monday morning, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

The incident has triggered a large-scale search and rescue operation involving Coast Guard vessels, helicopters, and local law enforcement, as authorities continue to search for survivors.

U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Chris Sappey said it was unclear where the boat was coming from before it flipped shortly after sunrise about 35 miles north of the Mexico border. He described the vessel as a panga. Pangas are open fishing boats commonly used by smugglers.

“They were not tourists,” Sappey said. “They are believed to be migrants.”

According to the Coast Guard, the search began after a report was received about an overturned vessel near the shoreline. The San Diego Sheriff’s Department confirmed its deputies were assisting the Coast Guard with life-saving measures on the beach near the 200 block of Stratford Court in Del Mar, warning the public to expect heightened law enforcement activity in the area.

The 12-foot boat, whose origin remains unknown, overturned in high surf just off Torrey Pines State Beach around 6:30 a.m., according to the Coast Guard.

Four individuals were taken to local hospitals for treatment, according to Encinitas Fire Department Deputy Fire Chief Jorge Sanchez. One of the patients recollected 18 people on board the vessel, which lines up with the 18 life vests found, Sanchez told NTD News.

He said injuries range from minor to critical.

Witnesses, including hikers, reported seeing the vessel capsize close to shore. Lt. Nick Backouris of the San Diego Sheriff’s Department said that a doctor hiking nearby responded to the incident and called in, saying, “I see people doing CPR on the beach, I’m running that way.’”

Such open boats are often used for fishing but are increasingly being used by smugglers and have been involved in several recent maritime incidents off Southern California, according to the Coast Guard.

In 2023, a similar tragedy took place when two suspected smuggling boats approached a San Diego beach in heavy fog, resulting in eight deaths after one vessel overturned in the surf.

The rise in maritime smuggling attempts has prompted some Southern California cities to consider new safety measures. San Clemente, for example, has discussed installing infrared cameras and allowing public monitoring of beaches at night to help identify and report suspicious boat landings. City officials have expressed concerns about the dangers migrants face when traveling in overloaded and unseaworthy vessels, especially in the final moments before reaching shore.

Authorities have not released the names of the deceased or missing individuals.

Last month, the U.S. Coast Guard suspended a search for five missing people after a boat capsized in a suspected smuggling operation about 29 miles off the Florida coast of St. Lucie Inlet. Crews in that search spent over seven hours and covered over 1,240 square miles before suspending the search, after a 25-foot vessel was found overturned with four people clinging onto it.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

From NTD News