Mexican nationals were among the migrants injured in a failed maritime smuggling attempt off California, with officials saying the wounds were consistent with shark bites.
Sixteen of the 27 people aboard were rescued early Friday after their boat capsized off the California coast. The survivors had spent time in open water fighting off sharks, and several reportedly suffered bites.
“Sixteen people have been rescued and transported to Coast Guard Sector San Diego, where emergency medical services personnel transferred them to local hospitals for further medical evaluation. Two of the sixteen individuals rescued were confirmed to be Mexican nationals,” the United States Coast Guard said Friday.
According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the survivors clung to one another and pieces of debris while treading water and trying to stay afloat until rescuers arrived.
At least one survivor was treated for a suspected shark bite, while two others remained in critical condition.
The rescue operation began after a boat reported the emergency at about 1 a.m. Friday. The vessel had capsized roughly 140 miles west of Ensenada, Mexico.
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The Coast Guard said the boat may have been part of a maritime migrant-smuggling operation.
“The vessel had a large number of people onboard and was following a route normally used in illegal maritime smuggling operations. Offshore conditions are unforgiving and can quickly result in death,” said Captain Robert Tucker, commander of Coast Guard Sector San Diego.
A spokesperson for the city of San Diego also told NBC San Diego that a human-smuggling boat was present at the scene.
The Friday rescue followed a series of migrant-smuggling incidents reported off the Southern California coast.
On October 3, federal agents intercepted a vessel off Newport Harbor carrying 14 suspected undocumented migrants from Mexico.
In early August, authorities also stopped a boat carrying 21 undocumented migrants attempting to reach Southern California. A 56-year-old man was found unresponsive aboard the vessel and later died.
