Survivors bitten by sharks and 11 missing after boat capsizes off Mexico coast

Dozens of people were left in shark-infested waters after a boat capsized off the Mexican coast.

A boat carrying 27 people got into trouble in the middle of the ocean off the Baja California coast on Friday night.

The alarm was raised at about 1am, with the US Coast Guard from nearby San Diego alerted to help with the search.

The vessel is said to have taken on water around 140 miles west of the port city of Ensenada, Mexico.

Search and rescue crews rushed to the area where 16 people were pulled from the water, USA Today reports.

The survivors were taken to the hospital, where medics discovered injuries consistent with shark bites, the Coast Guard said.

The species of shark was not specified, but the waters off the Baja California Peninsula are home to more than 62 sharks, including great whites and bull sharks.

Survivors from the capsized vessel were hanging onto debris while waiting to be rescued for 90 minutes.

Lieutenant Santiago Tamburini from the US Coast Guard, told CBC: ‘People were holding onto each other, to debris, just treading and trying to stay above water before being rescued.’

The origin or the destination has not been publicly confirmed.

The area is a popular destination for pleasure boats and fishing vessels, but is also reportedly used by smugglers.

All those rescued are said to be Mexican nationals.

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