FIRST ON FOX: A group of 37 suspected migrants was saved from a 30-foot boat after they had been stranded for two days without fuel, food, or water, close to 90 miles off the coast of Southern California, as reported by the U.S. Coast Guard.
The Coast Guard received a distress call from the boat’s operator around 3:40 p.m. on Friday, indicating that they had been adrift for two days and lacked personal safety equipment.
In response, several teams were dispatched, including the cutters Sockeye and Halibut, alongside small boats from the Los Angeles-Long Beach and Channel Islands stations, and an air crew to search for the vessel.
It was around 8:30 p.m. when the crew located the boat and successfully brought all 37 individuals aboard the Sockeye.
Master Chief Peter Nelson, who oversees the Sockeye, expressed pride in the efforts of his team, stating, “I could not be prouder of the Coast Guard crews on scene who were directly responsible for 37 lives saved last night.”
He noted that the rescue operation took place at night and under challenging conditions well offshore. “Despite operating far offshore in rough conditions at night, they persevered until every person in danger was rescued,” he added, recognizing their professionalism and seamanship.
The Sockeye transported the group to Coast Guard Base Los Angeles-Long Beach, where they were handed over to U.S. Border Patrol officials. However, the Coast Guard has not disclosed information about the group’s origins, the boat’s departure point, or its intended destination.
