(NewsNation) — At least eight people are dead Sunday after two boats carrying migrants crashed off the coast of San Diego, authorities said.
Coast Guard Petty Officer Eddie Berrios confirmed eight people died and said teams were searching for at least seven more. He didn’t know what kind of boats they were but said often panga-style vessels come ashore there.
The boats crashed late Saturday night and thick fog made rescue efforts difficult but officials said eight bodies have been recovered so far.
A woman on one of the boats called 911 late Saturday to report that the other vessel had overturned in waves off Blacks Beach, according to U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Richard Brahm.
“The woman who called stated that the boat that overturned had 15 people on it, but that was just an estimate,” Brahm said.
San Diego Lifeguard Chief James Gartland said both boats were found overturned on the beach when rescuers arrived, with the eight deceased on the shore and in the water.
Rescuers executed a rescue and recovery mission for about an hour before moving to recovery mode, which is expected to continue through the afternoon.
Gartland called it one of the worst maritime smuggling tragedies in San Diego.
A boat sits overturned on Blacks Beach, Sunday, March 12, 2023, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) 
A boat sits overturned near a row of life jackets on Blacks Beach, Sunday, March 12, 2023, in San Diego. Authorities say multiple people were killed when two suspected smuggling boats overturned off the coast San Diego, and crews were searching for additional victims. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) 
A boat sits overturned on Blacks Beach, Sunday, March 12, 2023, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) 
Two boats, one overturned, sit on Blacks Beach, Sunday, March 12, 2023, in San Diego. Authorities say multiple people were killed when two suspected smuggling boats overturned off the coast San Diego, and crews were searching for other victims. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
The LA Times reported an 800-foot debris field on Black Beach, also known as Torrey Pines State Beach. The land is jointly owned by San Diego and the state.
Gartland said the stretch of beach where the boats capsized is exceptionally dangerous, and migrants may think they have made it to shore only to get pulled back out to sea by riptides.
“The access to the area was very difficult due to the tide and coastal cliff there. So lifeguards worked to technically extricate all of the victims there. San Diego Fire Rescue Department had three ambulances, a truck, an engine and a full cast,” Gartland said.
“This is the one of the worst maritime smuggling tragedies that I can think of in California, certainly here in the city of San Diego.”
In a press conference, U.S. Coast Guard Sector Commander Capt. James Spitler said there has been a 771% increase in human trafficking in the southern California’s coastal region since 2017. Since 2021, the area has seen 23 migrant deaths.
“This is not necessarily people trying to find a better life. This is part of a transnational criminal organization effort to smuggle people into the United States. These people are often labor trafficked and sex trafficked when they arrive,” said Spitler.
Authorities said there were no survivors on the beach when rescue crews arrived, but it is possible some left the beach before they got there.
“The real number of deaths in the California coastal region is unknown. Often these boats are overloaded, the maintenance is poor and they often do hit weather like last night or it’s very little visibility. It’s very challenging for anybody to operate in those conditions. They were likely one of the very few mariners out there at sea,” Spitler said.
Border Patrol was notified of the incident. A spokesperson for Border Patrol deferred to San Diego Fire and Rescue when asked for comment on the incident.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
