SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Eight people were killed when two suspected smuggling boats capsized off the coast of San Diego, and crews are searching Sunday for seven more victims, authorities said.
The San Diego Fire Department said lifeguards responding late Saturday at Blacks Beach pulled eight bodies from the water but thick fog hampered search efforts overnight. Fire and Coast Guard vessels combed the area early Sunday.
Daniel Eddy, deputy chief of operations for San Diego Fire, said there was a long debris field in Black Beach. Black’s Beach is jointly owned by the city of San Diego and the state. The stretch of sand is also known as Torrey Pines City Beach and Torrey Pines State Beach.
Coast Guard Petty Officer Eddie Berrios confirmed that eight people died and crews are searching for at least seven more. He didn’t know what kind of boats they were, but he said that panga-style boats often landed there.
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