Lifeguards Friday towed a boat with six people aboard, which authorities believe was used for smuggling purposes, back to shore in the Sunset Cliffs area, authorities said.
At roughly 7:15 a.m., lifeguards responding to a call for help found the boat approaching the surfline, according to Monica Munoz of San Diego Fire-Rescue.
The boat was towed back to the lifeguards’ headquarters dock, Munoz said, adding that none of the passengers was hurt.
She said lifeguards gave the boat’s occupants blankets before federal law enforcement officers arrived on the scene.
Believing the boat was being used to smuggle the occupants, lifeguards contacted the San Diego Police Department, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Coast Guard, Munoz said.
Coast Guard and CBP officials took the people and the boat into custody, Munoz said. A Coast Guard official had no further information.