4 Dead After Migrant Boat Capsizes Near San Diego

A wooden skiff believed to have been ferrying migrants toward the US capsized in stormy seas near San Diego, leaving at least four people dead and four hospitalized, the Coast Guard said Saturday. The US Border Patrol found the vessel in the surf off Imperial Beach late Friday night, per the AP. Six people were initially found on the beach just before midnight, one of whom was pronounced dead. About two hours later, a Coast Guard crew found three people in the ocean, all dead.

Several of the survivors claimed Mexican nationality, while others remained unidentified, the agency said. One person was turned over to the Department of Homeland Security. The incident unfolded as a strong storm system hit Southern California over the weekend, prompting warnings of flash flooding and mudslides. The vessel was a panga— a single- or twin-engine open fishing boat that is also commonly used by smugglers. Migrants are increasingly turning to the risky alternative of traveling by sea to avoid heavily guarded land borders.