A tragic maritime accident near Torrey Pines State Beach, just north of downtown San Diego, has left three people dead, four injured, and nine missing, including two Indian children, according to CNN. The incident occurred on Monday, May 5, 2025, when a small panga-style boat capsized off the California coast.
An Indian family was among those affected, with the parents currently receiving treatment at Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, while their children remain unaccounted for. Authorities say the boat overturned in the surf around 6:30 a.m., about 15 miles from downtown San Diego. Hikers in the area witnessed the incident, with one doctor calling emergency services after seeing CPR being performed on the beach. According to Lt. Nick Backouris of the San Diego Sheriff’s Department, “A doctor hiking nearby called in and said, ‘I see people doing CPR on the beach, I’m running that way.'”
The San Diego Sheriff’s Department, California State Parks, US Coast Guard, Del Mar Lifeguards, and US Border Patrol are among the multiple agencies involved in the response. The Coast Guard deployed a 45-foot rescue boat and a helicopter to assist with the ongoing search and recovery effort, which continued into the afternoon, as per reports by CNN. Officials have found 17 life jackets at the site, though the exact number of people onboard remains unknown. The boat, identified as a 12-foot panga, capsized under hazardous conditions amid a small craft advisory issued by the National Weather Service.
The Consulate General of India in San Francisco issued a statement on social media platform X, confirming the Indian family’s involvement. “We are very sad to know about the tragic incident of a boat capsizing near Torrey Pines State Beach, off the coast near San Diego, California, this morning. As per available information, three people died, nine went missing, and four were injured in the incident. An Indian family is also affected in this tragedy. While two Indian children are missing, the parents are undergoing treatment at Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla. The Consulate is providing all necessary assistance to the affected Indian family in coordination with local authorities. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of this tragedy,” the consulate wrote.
Encinitas Deputy Fire Chief Jorge Sanchez described the scene as having the “potential to be a mass casualty event,” depending on the fate of the nine still missing. The four people rescued were transported to area hospitals with injuries ranging from mild to severe. California State Parks confirmed that the incident is under active investigation.
Coast Guard officials told the Associated Press they are still determining where the vessel originated. Coast Guard Petty Officer Chris Sappey stated, “They were not tourists,” adding that they are believed to be migrants. He later clarified to CNN that while similar vessels in past incidents were linked to migrant smuggling, “the immigration status of the passengers is not confirmed at all yet.”
In 2023, a similar tragedy off the San Diego coast resulted in the deaths of eight people when two smuggling boats capsized amid heavy fog. That incident was one of the deadliest maritime smuggling operations recorded in the US. As the investigation continues and the search for the missing persists, authorities are focusing on rescue efforts and establishing the identities and backgrounds of the passengers.
The Indian consulate’s involvement underscores the international scope of the tragedy, as officials work to assist affected families and coordinate with US authorities. In a heartbreaking twist, two children from the Indian family have been declared dead or presumed dead after the boat capsized. The body of a 14-year-old boy was recovered shortly after the vessel overturned on the morning of May 5, while his 10-year-old sister remains missing and is presumed to have drowned.
Their parents were rescued from the surf by emergency crews, though the father remains in a coma and the mother is still hospitalized. The family was among a larger group of migrants attempting to enter the United States illegally aboard a panga-style boat — a small, open vessel often used in smuggling operations. The boat capsized near Del Mar, triggering a large-scale rescue and investigation effort.
Initially, U.S. Coast Guard officials believed seven people were missing, but confusion on the ground and gaps in communication delayed the accurate accounting. By May 7, eight migrants who had been feared lost at sea were found alive. U.S. Border Patrol agents located them at an inland transit point, where they had been driven in three vehicles after making it ashore. One person, the 10-year-old girl, remains unaccounted for.
Federal prosecutors in San Diego have since filed charges against five Mexican nationals in connection with the smuggling plot. Two men — Jesus Ivan Rodriguez-Leyva, 36, and Julio Cesar Zuniga-Luna, 30 — are accused of piloting and refueling the boat. They face charges of “bringing in aliens resulting in death,” a capital offense, as well as smuggling for financial gain. U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem stated that she would ask the Justice Department to pursue the death penalty against them.
Three others — Melissa Jennelle Cota, 33, Gustavo Lara, 32, and Sergio Rojas-Fregoso, 31 — were charged with transporting illegal aliens after allegedly driving the rescued migrants from the beach to a secondary location. Each faces up to 10 years in prison.
As the investigation unfolds, authorities are grappling with the grim realities of human smuggling and the dangers it poses. The drowning deaths of these children serve as a stark reminder of the risks many take in their desperate attempts to reach the United States. U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon emphasized the need for justice, stating, “We are committed to seeking justice for these vulnerable victims, and to holding accountable any traffickers responsible for their deaths.”
The Coast Guard has been actively monitoring maritime smuggling, with 277 vessels tracked since October, leading to numerous apprehensions. This incident underscores the ongoing challenges faced by authorities in curbing illegal immigration while also highlighting the human cost associated with such perilous journeys.
