U.S. Border Patrol agents patrolling the San Diego coast noticed a vessel coming ashore in Pacific Beach. They found one person dead inside the boat and arrested 14 suspected illegal immigrants.
The agents were on routine patrol when they noticed a panga approaching the shore.
“It had lights out which is a good indication that it’s trying to come in covert which leads us to know that it’s probably a smuggling event,” said Damon Foreman, Commander, Coastal Border Enforcement Team.
The boat made a hard landing along the coastline off Mission Boulevard near Dixie Drive and Law Street.
Agents detained one person on the beach and discovered the body of a man, face down in the boat with no visible injuries. They also followed tracks in the sand to find 13 people hiding on a nearby street.
Of the 14 survivors 11 were taken to nearby hospitals. Two of them were seriously injured. Three people were not injured.
“There all minor bumps and bruises for the most part, some back pain, broken ankles things like that,” said Capt. Milo Vaughs with San Diego Fire and Rescue.
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“When you come through the surf in a pango boat, anything can happen. They jump out of it, it hits them in the surf,” Vaughs said.
U.S. Border Patrol agents say the vessel came from Mexico. Even though agents haven't had time to debrief those who survived the trip, they said the passengers told them it was a rough trip up the coast.
Agents do not know the identify of the man who died or the circumstances of his death. The medical examiner was called to investigate.
There were no narcotics found on the boat agents said.
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