One dead, six missing in Mexico after tourist boat sinks

Jul 4, 2011, 17:33 GMT

Mexico City - One person died and six remained missing in the Gulf of California, in northwestern Mexico, after the tourist boat they were travelling in sank, civil protection authorities said Monday.

The boat Erick, 30 metres long and regularly used for recreational fishing, was carrying 27 tourists - mostly US citizens - and a crew of 17. It had left the port of San Felipe, near the US border, Saturday, for a trip that was set to last a couple of days.

The incident happened in the early hours of Sunday, some 100 kilometres off San Felipe, in Baja California, civil protection chief Alfredo Escobedo told the German Press Agency dpa. The boat sank near San Luis island within just three minutes, survivors told the authorities.

Several passengers managed to swim to shore, while others were rescued at sea. The boat's cook and two passengers alerted the authorities of the accident after being rescued by fishermen, the Mexican Navy said.

The accident apparently happened during a storm with strong winds that pushed the boat against a reef barrier and caused it to sink, Escobedo said.

The Mexican Navy was searching for survivors, with support from two police helicopters. The US Coast Guard was also involved in the rescue operation.

The Gulf of California, known for its great species diversity, is between the Baja California Peninsula and the northeastern coast of mainland Mexico.