CBP Rescues 12 in California Boat Fire, Sinking Boat

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers rescued 12 people from a sinking boat and another which caught fire off the California coast.

Two CBP Air and Marine Operations (AMO) crews rescued a total of 12 people in two boating incidents off the California coast on Labor Day, according to information provided by San Diego Sector CBP officials. The first incident involved a sinking boat in San Diego Bay. The second, a fire in the engine compartment of another boat in the same bay.

At about 1 p.m. (PST) on Monday, an AMO boat crew spotted a sinking boat in San Diego Bay. Officials described the boat as a 21-foot vessel. As they approached, the crew members observed nine people in the water. The crew pulled their boat into position and pulled the victims into their 41-foot Secure Around Flotation Equipped (SAFE) boat.

The crew members provided emergency assistance to the victims while waiting for a San Diego Harbor Police vessel to arrive. The AMO crew then transferred all nine victims to the SDHP boat for transportation to shore. One woman complained of chest pains and officials turned her over to an awaiting Emergency Medical Services team.

CBP contacted the U.S. Coast Guard about the boat. The Coast Guard will investigate the incident. Officials did not report an explanation as to how the boat sunk.

Shortly after this incident, the AMO boat crew heard a “May Day” call over the marine band radio. The caller indicated their boat was on fire in San Diego Bay and requested immediate assistance. They said the boat was located near the Coronado Bay Bridge.

The AMO crew quickly arrived on scene and found a 38-foot Sport Fisher boat. Black smoke billowed from the engine room of the craft, officials reported.

The crew members quickly rescued the three adults from the burning boat and fought the fire in the boat’s engine room. They continued fighting the fire until a Coast Guard vessel arrived to provide assistance.

During the incident, an AMO boat crew member and a Border Patrol agent working with the crew suffered from smoke inhalation. Officials transported the two law enforcement members to a hospital where doctors treated and later released them.