Bay Area Passengers Onboard Capsized Mexican Fishing Boat

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS)— A Mexican fishing vessel that capsized off the coast of Baja California Sunday morning killed at least one American tourist and had several people from the Bay Area onboard.  CBS 5 has learned that one of the missing tourists, 55-year-old Brian Wong, is from Berkeley.

Among the 44 people on the ship were four brothers from the Bay Area who regularly took part in what was an annual fishing expedition.

Mexican newspapers are reporting that Gary and Craig Wong were among the survivors taken to a San Felipe hospital after being rescued. Seven U.S. tourists along with one Mexican crew member are still missing.

A friend of the family said that their brother Glen contacted relatives Monday morning to say he was okay, but that their other brother, Brian, is still among the missing.

CBS reporter Adrienne Bard in Mexico said The U.S. Coast Guard is involved with the search for the missing people and that the Mexican Navy initially rescued people on Sunday.

Bard said there are multiple versions of why the boat capsized including a theory that a giant wave slammed into the boat or that it hit a reef. Some onboard escaped by smaller boats that were on the larger vessel according to Bard.

The list of survivors has yet to be confirmed.

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