Search suspended after panga boat capsizes near San Diego; 3 dead, 7 still missing
Authorities will not continue searching for seven missing people, including two believed to be children, after a panga-style boat overturned near San Diego on May 5 and three people were found dead.
The Coast Guard does not plan to continue the search unless authorities receive new information, Coast Guard spokesperson Hunter Schnabel told USA TODAY on May 6. Schnabel said the factors involved in calling off the search include the time elapsed since the incident, the likely survivability in the water and the fatigue of search crews and assets used in the search.
The U.S. Coast Guard received the report of an overturned vessel at about 6:30 a.m. on May 5. Four people were rescued and taken to nearby hospitals, and two others found alive were detained, the Coast Guard Pacific Southwest said.
The two taken into custody are suspected to be smugglers, authorities said. About 16 people are believed to have been on board the small, open-style powered boat.
The Coast Guard said late the night of May 5 that it had suspended its operations searching for the missing "pending further developments." Authorities used helicopters and rescue boats in the search.
"We can't speculate as to what happened to them," Schnabel said of the seven missing people, adding that they may not all be still in the water or dead.
Here's what we know so far about the investigation:
What happened to the boat?
The boat washed ashore near Torrey Pines State Beach, about 30 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border, authorities said. Hikers saw the boat capsize and people injured, Lt. Nick Backouris of the San Diego County Sheriff's Department told the Associated Press.
Photos of the boat after it was dragged onto the beach show it had chipped blue paint and wooden planks for seats. It was found with life preservers and shoes inside.
Conditions in the water were choppy at the time, Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Levi Read said.
Who was on board?
Authorities haven't released identities of the people on the boat, but said they believe it was carrying 16 people when it capsized. Three were found dead, four were hospitalized, two were detained and another seven were still missing. The missing include two children, officials said. One of the injured was in critical condition, the city of Encinitas said.
Earlier in the investigation, the Coast Guard said a survivor reported there were 18 people on board, but that number was later revised after more information was gathered from the injured.
At least some of the boat's occupants are from India, officials believe because of Indian passports found on the beach, Read said.
Shawn Gibson, a special agent in charge of the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations agency, said the incident was a "stark reminder of the dangers posed by maritime smuggling."
"The ruthless smuggling of undocumented individuals is not only illegal, it's deadly," Gibson said.
Schnabel said he could not confirm whether the four people hospitalized are migrants or whether the people missing are believed to be migrants.
What is a panga boat?
A panga boat is a open, versatile outboard-powered boat, typically 18 to 30 feet long. It can be used for fishing, small boat rides or hauling cargo, according to Panga Sports.
The boats are used for human smuggling and typically carry migrants into the U.S. from Latin America, authorities have said. They have also been used to smuggle marijuana in the country, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Since October, the Coast Guard has tracked 277 vessels including pangas entering U.S. waters near San Diego, leading to 983 people apprehended, Read said.
Contributing: Terry Collins, USA TODAY; Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Search suspended with 7 still missing after panga boat capsizes
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