No fewer than eight people have died after a panga boat capsized near the shore of Black’s Beach in San Diego County, California, in the United States.
The boat mishap was discovered on Saturday around 11:30 pm after someone on another panga boat called 911, authorities said.
The caller was reportedly on a type of small fishing boat powered by an outboard motor, and called authorities after seeing victims in the water, according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.
The first rescuers could not access the beach because of the high tide, and had to wade through “knee to waist deep water,” the statement disclosed.
Authorities have said multiple people were killed off the coast in San Diego, and crews were searching for additional victims.
Lifeguards initially only spotted seven bodies, but then found another with assistance from the US Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations, the department said.
The bodies were transferred to the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s office, according to the release.
Several agencies responded to the incident, including the fire-rescue department, the San Diego Police Department, US Customs and Border Protection and the US Coast Guard, the agency said.
Coast Guard and border protection officials are scheduled to hold a joint news conference about the incident on Sunday, officials said.
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