1 dead, 8 missing after fishing boat capsizes off Mexico

Mexico searches for 7 missing in boating accident

In this image released by the Mexican Navy on Monday July 4, 2011, survivors of a capsized boat are taken away in a vehicle after being rescued by the Navy in the town of San Felipe, Mexico Monday July 4, 2011. A U.S. tourist died after a fishing boat capsized in an unexpected storm in the Gulf of California off the Baja California peninsula and of the 44 people on the boat, seven U.S. tourists remain missing along with one Mexican crew member, the Mexican Navy said. (AP Photo/SEMAR)

By Mariana Martinez Associated Press / July 4, 2011

TIJUANA, Mexico—American tourists on an annual July 4 fishing trip were plunged into the Gulf of California in the middle of the night after a flash storm upended their boat, killing at least one U.S. man and leaving seven others missing.

The Mexican navy said late Monday it will extend the search area for survivors after meeting with various rescue agencies, despite earlier reports they were considering turning their efforts to recovering bodies nearly two days after the early Sunday morning accident.

By early Monday, 19 of the tourists and all 16 crew members had been picked up by the navy or other fishing boats after clinging to coolers, rescue rings and life vests for more than 16 hours.

Mexican navy Capt. Benjamin Pineda Gomez said he had no name or details about the man who died. But he said with the warm weather and water temperature, it's still possible the others missing are alive.

"A person who casts away can survive many days. That sea is calm," he said.

The U.S. Coast Guard offered Mexico help in the search and rescue and says it will continue its operations.

The 115-foot (35-meter) vessel, the Erik, sank about 60 miles (100 kilometers) south of the port of San Felipe around 2:30 a.m. PDT (5:30 a.m. EDT; 0930 GMT) Sunday, the second day of a weeklong vacation fishing trip the men had organized for several years each Independence Day holiday.

The boat capsized less than 2 miles (3 kilometers) from shore, but the navy extended its search 60 miles (100 kilometers) deeper into the gulf later Monday after scouring the area by helicopter and airplane and finding nothing, Pineda said.

Most of the 27 men are from Northern California and had made the trip before, eating gourmet dinners on board every night and coming home with ice chests full of fish.

"I'm beyond concerned," said Kristina Bronstein, who is engaged to missing tourist Mark Dorland of Twain Harte, California.

She heard about the accident Monday morning from a trip organizer's wife, who told her Dorland, 62, was one of the first people to fall into the water. He wasn't wearing a life vest.

The couple are to be married next month.Read more...