ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 16, 2010 AT 10:14 A.M., UPDATED JANUARY 16, 2010 AT 5:16 A.M
SAN DIEGO — The furtive journey by sea was nearly over for about two dozen illegal immigrants crammed into a small fishing boat in the pre-dawn darkness.
But unlike the hundreds of similar illicit landings each year along San Diego County shores, the one early Saturday ended in tragedy when the panga capsized in the surf at Torrey Pines State Beach, scattering people in the chilly water and ultimately claiming a man’s life.
Medical personnel tend to a victim on the beach. (Albert D. Johnson photo)
The accident marked the first known death associated with human smuggling by sea in the area’s recent history.
Illegal immigrants are increasingly ignoring the risks of marine smuggling as federal authorities continue to crack down on land crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border in San Diego. The number of sea-smuggling arrests nearly doubled in the past year, prompting U.S.Homeland Security Department officers to beef up patrols along the region’s coastline, especially in North County.
Sixteen passengers were rescued Saturday from the 58-degree water or found along the shoreline. The search continued until sundown for the remaining people believed to have fled.
“This is our worst nightmare,” said Lauren Mack, spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “We’ve been warning about this dangerous activity, and unfortunately now we have our first fatality.”
Faced with unpredictable seas, shaky navigational tools and unreliable boats, illegal immigrants and their smugglers frequently underestimate the risks of sneaking into the United States via the Pacific, authorities say.
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