A 57-year-old woman believed to be a Mexican national drowned when the suspected smuggling boat she was riding in capsized in heavy surf on Saturday, sending more than 20 people into the water off Ocean Beach.
The woman was identified by the county Medical Examiner’s Office as Maribel Merino Bernardo. She was extricated from the boat by first responders and was unresponsive when she was found.
Paramedics attempted life-saving measures and transported her to a hospital, but she could not be revived.
The 25-foot cabin cruiser was hit by a big wave and capsized near the foot of Saratoga Avenue around 7:40 a.m. Between 20 and 30 people were believed to be on the boat when it flipped upside down.
Lifeguards and surfers rescued people from the water, on the jetty or who were trapped inside the vessel, at one point breaking cabin windows to get them out, officials said.
Officials on Saturday reported that nine people were hospitalized.
Some people walked onto the beach from the water on their own, and those who were not taken to a hospital walked away.
Lifeguards on Saturday said they did not see any federal agents at the beach. Border Patrol agents did not make any arrests, a spokesperson confirmed Monday.
