American dead, seven missing in Mexico shipwreck

TIJUANA: An American was killed and seven others are missing and feared dead after their tourist fishing ship capsized off Mexico's north-western coast, the Mexican navy said Monday.

The fishing ship Erik set sail from San Felipe, on the eastern side of Baja California peninsula, with 43 people onboard Saturday, but was caught in a storm early Sunday in the Sea of Cortez and capsized, authorities said.

A body "was found floating near the area known as Punta Bufeo," close to where the boat sunk, Mexicali city security chief Marco Antonio Carrillo told.

The navy confirmed that the body was that of an unidentified US national.

The boat's cook, who was rescued by local fishermen along with two passengers, initially said there were 44 people onboard, but that figure was revised after officials discovered that one passenger failed to board the ship, the navy said.

State security chief in Mexicali Marco Antonio Carrillo said a body was found floating a few kilometers from the shipwreck, and authorities were trying to determine if it was one of the missing Americans.

Seventeen Mexicans aboard the ship made their way aboard emergency rafts to nearby small islands and are unharmed, the navy said.

Navy vessels, local fishermen and other ships rescued more survivors, the navy said.

Authorities said the survivors were all well and had been taken to hotels, though one with diabetes remained under observation.

A helicopter, an airplane and three boats were deployed to assist the search for survivors, the Mexican navy said.

The Sea of Cortez lies between the Baja California peninsula and Mexico's mainland coast. (AFP)