Coast Guard swimmer Josh Law saves 16 from shark-infested waters as 11 remain missing off Mexico

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: US Coast Guard rescue swimmer Josh Law, 24, battled darkness, exhaustion and waves reaching up to 8 feet to rescue 16 people after their boat capsized off Mexico. During the nighttime operation on October 16, he was the only rescuer in the water, pulling survivors to safety one by one as the helicopter crew guided him with a searchlight.

The dramatic rescue unfolded about 140 miles off Mexico's Baja peninsula. While 16 people were saved, 11 others remained missing, and the Coast Guard called off its search late Sunday after a two-day effort.

Josh Law rescues 16 people from rough Pacific waters

The emergency began around 1 am when a mayday call reported that a boat was sinking off Ensenada, Mexico. The alarm woke Law and his colleagues at the US Coast Guard Air Station in Ventura, northwest of Los Angeles.

By 2 am, a four-member crew had taken off for the reported location. Law prepared his dry suit, fins and medical equipment before securing himself to a harness that would lower him from the helicopter into the ocean.

The conditions were difficult from the start. The helicopter blades churned the water below, while waves between 6 and 8 feet high battered the rescue swimmer. In the darkness, he could barely see the people he had been sent to save.

Speaking to The Associated Press in his first interview since the rescue, Law described how exhaustion had begun to set in.

"I was experiencing exhaustion at that point," he said. "We had very little sleep. But what I was experiencing was nothing compared to what they were at that point ... I just had to keep that in mind."

Pilot Miyako Miller uses night vision to locate survivors

Helicopter pilot Lt Miyako Miller relied on night vision goggles and the stars to navigate through the darkness, as there was no moonlight to guide the crew.

As they approached the reported location, Miller spotted a tiny flicker of light in the distance. The crew then noticed what appeared to be debris floating in the water, although it was difficult to identify in the dark.

Miller carefully positioned the helicopter about 40 feet above the ocean so Law could begin the rescue.

"I'm doing my best to maintain my references externally by looking outside through the night vision goggles," she said, explaining that the flight mechanic was also guiding her on where to position the aircraft.

Below, the survivors were scattered across a wide area. Some wore life vests with small lights, while others clung to one another, buoys and pieces of wreckage as they struggled to stay afloat in the cold water.

Law said he did not have time to think about the dangers around him as he entered the ocean. Guadalupe Island, located southwest of Ensenada, is known for its great white sharks, but his attention remained on the survivors.

Josh Law uses the buddy tow technique to bring survivors to safety

Law swam towards the people in the water, turned them onto their backs and used the "buddy tow" technique to bring them towards the helicopter's rescue basket.

He had to repeat the process for each survivor, swimming back and forth through the heavy waves while working with the crew above him.

"With one hand, I'm holding the survivor. With the other, I am signaling to the helicopter and working with the device," Law said.

The crew lowered the basket repeatedly, lifting each person into the helicopter before sending it back down for the next rescue. As the operation continued, Law's dry suit gradually filled with water up to his knees, making it feel as though weights were dragging him down.

After two hours of rescue efforts, the helicopter was packed with survivors and running low on fuel. The crew decided to head to the Coast Guard station in San Diego, where ambulances were waiting.

During the flight, Law treated three people with what he described as "bad" wounds, helping stop their bleeding. Several injuries were "consistent with shark bites," the Coast Guard said, and the agency provided life-saving first aid.

Coast Guard calls off search for 11 missing people

Law and his crew returned to Ventura that morning. He described the operation as the longest rescue mission he had ever carried out.

The search for the missing people continued for another two days, involving the Coast Guard, Mexico and the US Navy. Together, the teams searched more than 2,441 square miles over 89 hours before the effort was called off late Sunday.

All those rescued were Mexican, according to the Mexican consulate. US Customs and Border Protection officers interviewed the survivors and said they would be processed under immigration laws after receiving medical clearance. Nearly half of those rescued have since been returned to Mexico, US officials said.

The circumstances surrounding the boat's journey remain under federal investigation. Authorities have not established whether it suffered engine failure, became lost, was swept out to sea or was travelling that far intentionally. Only pieces of the vessel were recovered.

The Coast Guard said Customs and Border Protection was investigating, but the agency did not respond to multiple inquiries about whether the boat was being used for migrant smuggling.