A search is ongoing to find the 11 people missing after a boat carrying 27 people capsized early Friday in the Pacific Ocean.
Several of the 16 survivors pulled from the water were treated for injuries consistent with shark bites, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
Aircraft and vessels are continuing the search for the missing passengers in waters about 140 miles west of Ensenada, Mexico, after the U.S. Coast Guard received a distress call at 1 a.m. Friday, reporting a vessel taking on water.
Helicopter crews arrived about an hour later and found passengers floating amid debris. It took around 90 minutes to pull 16 people from the water.
"People were holding onto each other, to debris, just treading and trying to stay above water before being rescued," Lt. Santiago Tamburini told CBC.
All 16 survivors are Mexican nationals, the Mexican consulate in San Diego told the Associated Press. The survivors were taken to a Coast Guard base in San Diego and then to local hospitals, where two are in critical condition, CBC reported.
"Several of the individuals rescued were suffering from severe injuries consistent with shark bites, and the Coast Guard provided life-saving first aid while en route (to) San Diego," the U.S. Coast Guard said in a statement on Saturday.
Petty Officer Charlie Valor told The New York Times on Sunday that the rescue mission will continue until there is no chance of survivors in the water. He said three of the survivors had injuries consistent with shark bites.
The boat's point of departure and destination remain unclear, as does the purpose of the voyage. Capt. Robert Tucker of Coast Guard Sector San Diego said the vessel had a large number of people aboard and was following a route normally used in illegal maritime smuggling operations.
"Boats in that area can be for fishing, leisure or personal recreation. We just don't know what they were doing out there. We all know it's a suspected smuggling route," Tamburini said.
Capt. Robert Tucker said in a statement that the case "highlights the extreme dangers of taking to the sea."
"The vessel had a large number of people onboard and was following a route normally used in illegal maritime smuggling operations. Offshore conditions are unforgivable and can quickly result in death," he added.
On Sunday, the agency confirmed that Homeland Security Investigations will lead an inquiry into the incident. U.S. Customs and Border Protection is interviewing the survivors, the Coast Guard said.
This article originally appeared on Yahoo News at https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/article/11-missing-after-boat-capsizes-off-mexico-with-survivors-suffering-suspected-shark-bites-104133011.html