Four people died after a boat carrying 19 people capsized or sunk between Cancún and Isla Mujeres on Monday, officials said.
The boat, called Diosa del Mar — which translates to “Goddess of the Sea” — was carrying 17 Mexican tourists, the captain, and a helper, Raciel López Salazar, the attorney general of Quintana Roo state, said during a press conference.
In a news release, the Isla Mujeres city council said the boat was from Puerto Juárez. The wreck happened in the bay between Cancún and Isla Mujeres, two popular vacation destinations.
The boat left Cancún on Monday night to take tourists to Isla Mujeres, an island about 3.5 miles offshore from Cancún.
The tourists went to a restaurant on the island and were returning to Cancún when it wrecked. Most of the passengers had to be rescued and several were taken to the hospital, authorities said in a Facebook post.
Quintana Roo’s state coordination of the civil protection department said a boat search-and-rescue operation was carried out to rescue passengers with the help of local agencies and the Mexican navy Some of those rescued had to receive medical attention.
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“We are analyzing the weather conditions and the boat’s capacity, whether it had the capacity to carry those 19 people,” Salazar said.
Local paper, El Universal, reported that officials said the 26-foot boat had 16-person capacity but was carrying 19 people. Passengers included 14 adult tourists, one baby, two minors, the captain, and a crew member.
Riviera Maya News reported that those who died included one woman, two men, and a 10-year-old boy.
According to Mexico News Daily, some of the surviving passengers suffered serious injuries and were transferred to the hospital. At least one person requires life support, and others are suffering from nervous breakdowns.
Several rescued passengers were transferred to hospital on Isla Mujeres, including some with serious injuries, at least one requiring life support, and others suffering nervous breakdowns.
There were reportedly high waves Monday night, and local media reported that the wake of a larger passing vessel may have played a role.
“In accordance with the applicable laws, the captain of the boat Diosa del Mar was immediately turned over to the appropriate authorities to clear up responsibility” for the accident, the Isla Mujeres government said in a statement.
Salazar told reporters the captain “had some responsibility,” NBC News reported.