Eight rescued clinging to boat off coast

Seven men and a pregnant woman clinging to a capsized boat off the Mexican coast were rescued and brought ashore at Shelter Island, it was reported Saturday.

A crew aboard the Island Princess, a sailing vessel out of Canada, rescued the eight in Mexican waters not far south of the international boundary, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

Five of the men were suffering from hypothermia and were taken to hospitals, Jacqueline Dizdul, a San Diego spokeswoman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection told the newspaper.

The other two men and the woman, who told officials they were Mexican citizens, were detained by border officials who were working to confirm their statements, Dizdul told the Union-Tribune.

As border protection efforts have been stepped up, the number of illegal immigrants being smuggled into the U.S. by boat has increased.

This story was written and edited by City News Service.

Tags: Illegal immigrants rescued, Island Princess Canad, Jacqueline Dizdul, San Diego illegal immigrants rescued, SDNN, U.S. Customs and Border Protection

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