3 dead, more than 20 hospitalized after vessel overturns off San Diego coast

Three people are dead and nearly two dozen people were sent to hospitals after a vessel overturned off the coast of San Diego on Sunday morning.

San Diego Fire Rescue Department spokesperson Monica Munoz told CNN they received reports of a vessel that overturned near the Cabrillo National Monument in Point Loma around 10:27 a.m. (1:27 p.m. ET).

The department said more than 20 people were transported to local hospitals “including Sharp Memorial, Palomar Medical Center West, Alvarado, UCSD Medical Center (Hillcrest), Grossmont Hospital, Kaiser Clairemont Mesa, Kaiser Zion and Paradise Valley Hospital.”

A tweet from the department said its lifeguards and multiple agencies rescued 25 people from the water Sunday, but the department later said 27 people were rescued. It was not clear whether that total included the three who died.

Munoz said most of those taken to hospitals were “non-emergent,” but three people were considered to be in “somewhat to very urgent status.”

Initially, Munoz said fire officials were told by units on scene that there were 22 people aboard the vessel.

The department said they “will not get any updates on the status of patients because of privacy laws.”

The SDFD tweet said federal agencies are still searching the water “in vessels and aircraft.”

The fire rescue department said several federal agencies are assisting with the incident.

On the incident page, the department said “SDFD firefighters and lifeguards along with Federal Fire, US Coast Guard and other local agencies worked together on this incident.”

US Customs and Border Protection air support is also helping with rescue, according to the SDFD incident page.

The department said a news conference on the incident was planned for 3 p.m. (6 p.m. ET) with multiple agencies.

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria tweeted for “San Diegans to keep the boat’s passengers in your prayers.”