A U.S. warship warned a nearby boat operating between Pier 11 and 12 to recall its swimmer or face defensive action in the restricted area. On February 16, 2026 the U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Diego issued a Pan Pan at 1038 local for two people reported in the water near the International Line. Mission Bay lifeguards separately reported a vessel about 10 feet from the rocks that had not yet struck them.
Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles issued an urgent Pan-Pan after receiving a Channel 16 distress call from the vessel Sundancer, which reportedly had been sinking with no position provided, and asked mariners to keep watch and report any sightings. Near San Diego, a Mayday reported a vessel fire just north of Shelter Island by the mooring buoys, drawing responders into an active evacuation. As crews managed the fire, the vessel Serrata requested immediate Harbor Police assistance for an onboard threat near America’s Cup Harbor, forcing responders to juggle a safety incident alongside the ongoing rescue.
U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Diego broadcasted two urgent safety alerts after a 16-foot sailboat had capsized in the surf near Silver Strand and a separate report had placed a person in the water near the east side of San Diego Pier. In another incident, the Coast Guard coordinated with a caller in the main channel who reported a tipped-over jet ski and a rider struggling to reboard, triggering a request for immediate assistance.
Coast Guard Sector San Diego issued multiple safety broadcasts - first asking mariners to watch for a reported yellow kayak, then alerting all stations to multiple flares reported about 30 miles west of Point Loma. A separate warning ordered all craft near China Point and San Clemente Island to move 1,000 meters east to avoid an active live-fire range.
Coast Guard Sector San Diego broadcast a Mayday for a vessel in distress about 30 nautical miles northwest of Channel 10, calling for immediate assistance. Around the same time, another vessel reported handling a serious medical emergency, while separate traffic flagged a fishing vessel lost near Imperial Gate.
A boater warned that a vessel unknowingly ran right over a newborn whale, with drones overhead and the mother nearby—an alarming reminder of how quickly wildlife encounters can turn dangerous. In a separate call, the tug Wendy Joe reported towing a “dead ship” into San Diego between 3–4 a.m. Two very different situations, but the same takeaway: on the water, awareness and communication are everything.
Responders closed in on a reported distress scene after a white skiff was identified approaching the bow of a sailboat linked to the earlier alert. A separate call confirmed a vessel had become disabled in the channel, prompting an immediate check for distress conditions.
A sailboat has bottomed out on its keel off the Shelter Island point nearest Point Loma and the skipper has asked nearby boaters for help because deeper-draft vessels have stayed clear. Harbor Police also moved to assist a separate vessel that has sat stuck on a jetty without power after the operator reported he had no way to contact vessel assist.