16 people found floating in the sea 140 miles off Mexico coast with 'no sight of boat in water'

16 people found floating in the sea 140 miles off Mexico coast with 'no sight of boat in water' At least 16 people have been rescued in waters about 140 miles off the coast of Baja California, Mexico, while a number of others remain missing At least 16 people have been rescued from the Pacific Ocean after being found floating in the water about 140 miles off the coast of Mexico's Baja California peninsula. A US Coast Guard official said crews responded to a report of a vessel in distress at around 1am PDT (9am BST) on Friday. Petty Officer Chris Sappey said people were found in the water about 140 miles west of Ensenada, with "no sight of a vessel in the water". The US Coast Guard rescued 16 people and was continuing to search for others. One of those rescued said as many as 27 people had been on board a boat, Sappey said. It was unclear how the group ended up in the water, and Sappey had no further information about their journey. Those rescued were being taken to hospitals in San Diego, California, Sappey said. The US Coast Guard was assisting Mexican authorities in the search using a helicopter, fixed-wing plane and a cutter, he added. The Pacific Ocean near Mexico's Baja California peninsula has historically been used by smugglers transporting people by sea to the US. Small open-air fishing boats known as pangas leave Baja at night and sometimes travel hundreds of miles north. The crossings are dangerous, particularly in rough seas and poor weather conditions. Several boats carrying migrants have capsized off the coast of San Diego over the years, resulting in fatalities. In May 2025, three people were confirmed dead when a panga boat flipped in rough seas near Torrey Pines State Beach in Del Mar. A 10-year-old girl was presumed dead after going missing. In March 2023, eight people died after two pangas capsized in the surf near Black’s Beach, just south of the Torrey Pines Gliderport. It was one of the deadliest maritime border crossing incidents in waters off the US coast. In May 2021, three people were killed and 27 others were injured when a small vessel carrying 32 people broke near Cabrillo National Monument at Point Loma.