Three people were killed and four others injured early Monday morning when a small panga-style boat overturned in the waters near Torrey Pines State Beach, San Diego County officials said. Nine more individuals remain missing as a multi-agency search operation continues.
Authorities responded to reports of the capsized vessel around 6:30 a.m., according to the San Diego Sheriff's Department. Coast Guard boats and helicopters were deployed, assisting lifeguards coordinating the response. A 45-foot rescue boat and a helicopter were dispatched to aid in locating the missing, a Coast Guard spokesperson told CNN.
The U.S. Coast Guard said on X that the search is ongoing about 15 miles north of downtown San Diego. The origin of the 12-foot boat remains unknown.
"A doctor hiking nearby called in and said, 'I see people doing CPR on the beach, I'm running that way,'" Lt. Nick Backouris of the San Diego Sheriff's Department said.
Pangas, though originally designed for fishing, are frequently used in smuggling operations. In a similar incident in 2023, eight people died when two migrant smuggling boats capsized in heavy fog off a San Diego beach, marking one of the deadliest such incidents in U.S. history.
Monday's incident triggered an extensive emergency response across several local agencies. The boat eventually washed ashore in Del Mar, roughly 20 miles north of downtown.
"This was a mass casualty incident," Encinitas Deputy Fire Chief Jorge Sanchez said, according to ABC News. "We do have air resources that are sweeping lateral, north and south of the beach. ... We do have lifeguards in the water on boats and jet skis, and we have several resources walking up and down the beach as well, making sure that no one is missed."
