A man has died after a panga boat carrying more than 21 migrants was intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard over 70 miles offshore of the Southern California Coast. One unresponsive man on board later succumbed to his condition.
The U.S. Coast Guard's Los Angeles-Long Beach division received a report around noon on Wednesday concerning a vessel suspected of illegally smuggling individuals, traveling approximately 14 miles west of San Clemente Island. Coast Guard crews, in coordination with U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials, intercepted the boat and identified 21 individuals believed to have entered the country illegally.
During the assessment of the individuals on board, Coast Guard responders discovered a 56-year-old man who was unresponsive. CPR was immediately administered before the man was airlifted and transported to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Westwood. Hospital staff were able to restore the man's pulse, but he was later pronounced dead.
The origin of the panga boat's departure remains unclear at this time. The remaining 20 individuals apprehended on the vessel were detained and transferred into the custody of U.S. Border Patrol personnel.
San Clemente Island, part of California's Channel Islands chain, is situated approximately 55 miles south of Long Beach.
