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u.s. news Diamars 4 mei 2021

At least 3 killed, many hurt in boat capsize off San Diego

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A coroner's offices listed three
packed boat suspected of dead including a 41-year-old
being used in a human woman, a 35-year-old wom-
smuggling operation cap- an and a man of unknown
sized and broke apart in age.
powerful surf along the
rocky San Diego coast, "Once we arrived on scene,
killing at least three peo- the boat had basically been
ple and injuring more broken apart," Romero said.
than two dozen others, "Conditions were pretty
authorities said. rough: 5 to 6 feet of surf,
windy, cold."
Lifeguards, the U.S. Coast
Guard and other agencies re- A total of 27 people were
sponded around 10:30 a.m. transported to hospitals with
Sunday following reports of "a wide variety of injuries" in-
an overturned vessel in the cluding hypothermia, Rome-
waves near the rugged penin- ro said. Most of the victims
sula of Point Loma, according were able to walk themselves
to the San Diego Fire-Rescue to ambulances, he said.
Department.
Officials said the group was
The original call was for a overcrowded on a 40-foot from expulsions but the vast boat, breaking it apart," he navigation lights 11 miles (18
handful of people overboard (12-meter) cabin cruiser that majority of adults are quickly said. kilometers) off the coast of
but as rescuers arrived in is larger than the typical open- sent back without facing any Point Loma with 21 people
boats and jet skis they quickly top wooden panga-style boats consequences. There were life preservers on on board. The crew took all
realized "it was going to be a often used by smugglers to board, but it wasn't known 15 men and six women into
bigger situation with more bring people illegally into the Border Patrol agents went to how many or whether any custody. Agents determined
people," said San Diego U.S. from Mexico. hospitals to interview sur- passengers were wearing all were Mexican citizens
Lifeguard Services Lt. Rick vivors of the capsizing, in- them, officials said. with no legal status to enter
Romero. "Every indication from our cluding the boat's captain the U.S., according to a state-
perspective was this was a who Stephenson described Among the rescuers was an ment released by Customs
"There are people in the wa- smuggling vessel. We haven't as a "suspected smuggler." unnamed Navy sailor who and Border Protection. Two
ter, drowning, getting sucked confirmed their nationality," Smugglers typically face fed- was in the area with his fam- of the people on the boat,
out the rip current there," he said Jeff Stephenson, a super- eral charges and those being ily and jumped in the water the suspected smugglers, will
said. vising agent with U.S. Bor- smuggled are usually deport- to assist someone in an ef- face charges, it said.
der Patrol. ed. fort described by Romero as
Seven people were pulled a "huge help." Border Patrol on Friday said
from the waves, including Under a pandemic-related San Diego Fire-Rescue De- law enforcement officials
three who drowned, Romero order in effect since March partment spokesman Jose Officials believed every- would be ramping up op-
said. One person was rescued 2020, migrants from Mexi- Ysea said when he arrived on one on board was accounted erations to disrupt maritime
from a cliff and 22 others co and people from Central scene near the Cabrillo Na- for right away, but crews in smuggling off the coast of
managed to make it to shore American countries of Gua- tional Monument there was boats and aircraft continued San Diego this weekend.
on their own, he said. temala, El Salvador and Hon- a "large debris field" of splin- to search the area for several
duras picked up at the border tered wood and other items hours for other possible sur- As warmer weather comes to
The total death toll remained are immediately expelled to in the choppy waters. vivors, Ysea said. San Diego, there is a misper-
unclear, however. The U.S. Mexico without an oppor- ception that it will make il-
Coast Guard said in a state- tunity to seek asylum. Presi- "In that area of Point Loma On Thursday, border of- legal crossings safer or easier,
ment late Sunday that four dent Joe Biden has exempted it's very rocky. It's likely the ficials intercepted a panga- the agency said in a state-
people were dead. The local unaccompanied children waves just kept pounding the type vessel traveling without ment.

US sets pandemic-era high for air travel, over 1.6 million

The United States set an- screened since March 12 of tional travel, another lucra- COVID-19. The Centers for
other record for the num- Nearly 1.67 million people last year when air travel be- tive piece of the airline busi- Disease Control and Preven-
ber of air travelers since were screened at U.S. air- gan to plummet. ness. tion says it is safe for vacci-
the pandemic set in, al- port checkpoints on Sunday, nated people to travel within
though passenger num- according to the Transporta- However, it was still 35% Nearly 50 U.S. and U.K. the United States, although
bers remain far below tion Security Administration. below the number of air- travel-industry groups urged it continues to warn against
2019 levels. That was the highest number port travelers reported on the President Joe Biden and Brit- travel to most foreign coun-
comparable Sunday in 2019, ish Prime Minister Boris tries.
according to TSA figures. Johnson to lift restrictions on
travel between the two coun- Last week, the TSA extended
Airlines started to see an in- tries. The groups said in a let- its requirement that airline
crease in bookings around ter Monday that it would be passengers wear face masks.
mid-February, and the TSA ideal if the two leaders would That rule was set to expire
has screened at least 1 mil- announce "the full reopen- May 11, but TSA extended it
lion people every day since ing of the U.S.-UK air travel through mid-September.
March 11. Vacation destina- market for both U.S. and UK
tions have been most popular citizens" before the G7 meet- Travelers should expect
— business travel, which is ing in early June. planes to be more full. Over
more profitable for airlines, the weekend, Delta Air Lines
remains drastically reduced. Airline executives are cau- stopped blocking off middle
tiously optimistic about sum- seats. It was the last U.S. air-
Government restrictions are mer travel as more Ameri- line to limit seating as a safety
also sharply limiting interna- cans get vaccinated against precaution.