Tourist boat, with Americans on board, capsizes off Mexico coast
 

Tourist boat, with Americans on board, capsizes off Mexico coast

The U.S. Coast Guard is sending a helicopter Monday to assist the Mexican Navy in its search for occupants of a tourist boat that capsized off Mexico's Baja California peninsula.

Mexican and U.S. officials offered slightly different figures for how many people were on board.

Petty Officer Pamela Boehland of the U.S. Coast Guard said the boat was carrying 43 people, including 27 Americans.

Thirty seven have been accounted for, including all the Americans, Boehland said. Six people are missing.

However, San Felipe Naval Commander Jorge Bustos said the boat had 44 people on board, of whom 36 have been found -- and one is dead. Seven are missing.

The boat hit rough weather Sunday and sank immediately, Boehland said. Many of the passengers were able to swim to shore, she said.

The U.S. Coast Guard said its helicopter will arrive at the scene sometime Monday morning and will provide aerial support.


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