LOS ANGELES, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- Sixteen people have been rescued, while a search is underway for 11 others after a distress call reported that a vessel was taking on water about 140 miles (225 km) west of Ensenada, a coastal city in the Mexican state of Baja California on Friday, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector San Diego received the radio distress call at approximately 1 a.m. local time, the Coast Guard said in a statement.
The Coast Guard deployed crews from its air stations in Ventura and Sacramento, as well as Coast Guard Cutter Active, to search the area. The U.S. Navy's USS Kingsville and a U.S. Navy helicopter were also assisting in the operation.
Search crews found debris from the vessel, according to the statement. The 16 survivors were transported to Coast Guard Sector San Diego, where emergency medical personnel transferred them to local hospitals for further evaluation. The Coast Guard said two of those rescued were Mexican nationals.
The statement did not specify what caused the emergency.
Capt. Robert Tucker, commander of Coast Guard Sector San Diego, said in the statement the vessel had a large number of people aboard and was following a route normally used in illegal maritime smuggling operations.
The Coast Guard said the search and rescue operation remained ongoing.
