
May 5 (Reuters) - At least three people died and nine others were missing after a small boat overturned in the Pacific Ocean north of San Diego, a U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson said on Monday.
Four people were transported to a local hospital, spokesperson Hunter Schnabel said.
A Coast Guard cutter and a helicopter were searching for the missing, Schnabel said. Two children were believed to be among them.
The U.S. Coast Guard said in a post on the X social media platform that it was searching off Del Mar, California, about 20 miles (32 km) north of San Diego, after receiving a report of an overturned vessel. The boat was found on the beach at about 6:30 a.m. PDT.
Nick Backouris, a lieutenant with the San Diego Sheriff's office, said his office helped with victims on the beach.
"The deputies were assisting with life-saving measures," he said.