Coast Guard pulls 37 stranded migrants from drifting boat off California
The U.S. Coast Guard rescued 37 suspected migrants from a 30-foot vessel that had been adrift for two days about 88 miles off the Southern California coast.
A pleasure boat carrying 37 suspected migrants had been stranded without fuel, food or water for two days roughly 88 miles from Channel Islands Harbor when its operator called the Coast Guard. Responding units, such as the cutters Sockeye and Halibut and aircraft, arrived and located the vessel at about 8:30 p.m. The Coast Guard transferred every person aboard the Sockeye, completing the rescue in challenging night and sea conditions.
Master Chief Peter Nelson, officer in charge of the Sockeye, highlighted the crew’s extraordinary professionalism and seamanship. After the rescue, the migrants were brought to the Coast Guard Base in Los Angeles-Long Beach and turned over to U.S. Border Patrol. The agency did not immediately release details about the migrants’ country of origin, the boat’s departure point, or its intended destination.
Why it matters
The operation underscores the Coast Guard’s role in safeguarding lives at sea and managing migrant arrivals.
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