Coast Guard rescues 16 people and searches for more after mayday call off Mexico's Baja coast

The U.S. Coast Guard said it rescued at least 16 people after a mayday call reported a sinking boat off Mexico’s Baja California coast, with 11 more believed missing. The incident began after a distress transmission at about 1 a.m., and a rescue helicopter reached the scene roughly two hours later. Coast Guard Lt. Santiago Tamburini said it took about 90 minutes for the crew, including a rescue swimmer, to pull survivors from the water. The rescued were Mexican nationals, according to the Mexican consulate, but the boat’s origin and destination were unclear. The vessel went down about 140 miles (225 km) west of Ensenada. Survivors clung to debris; authorities said some were not wearing life vests. One person was treated for a suspected shark bite, and two were in critical condition. Searches continued over nearly 950 square nautical miles, involving Coast Guard, U.S. Navy and Mexican Navy assets.