SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A panga boat carrying several people washed ashore on Dog Beach in Ocean Beach Monday afternoon.
The incident happened a little before 2:30 p.m.
ABC 10News sent a photojournalist to the area, and they spoke to several witnesses about the boat coming to shore.
One of them was a retired coast guardsman, and he said he knew something wasn't right when he saw the boat in the surf.
He counted six people shedding their life vests before jumping into the waist-high water and running ashore.
Two more witnesses told 10News that the people from the boat jumped into the water fully clothed and ran past beachgoers. The witnesses said they did not see the people again after the initial encounter.
San Diego lifeguards were keeping an eye on the boat as U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents arrived at the beach. By sunset, the boat was pulled up into the sand, with people stopping by to get a look.
The City of San Diego later confirmed that there were six individuals on board the boat, which it says appeared to be a smuggling vessel. The city also says no rescue or medical assistance was required.
Just three weeks ago, the Coast Guard told ABC 10News they've seen a 400% increase in smuggling along the San Diego Coast since 2018.
Lionel Silva, a San Diego resident, says he's witnessed panga boats wash ashore on the beaches for years. He says the time of day of Monday's incident surprised him.
"The weather is normally bad late at night or early in the morning," he says.
CBP has not responded to our repeated requests for more information about this incident or whether the six people were taken into custody.
This is a developing story. Stay with ABC 10News as our team of journalists works to gather the latest information.
