SAN DIEGO: At least eight people have died after two fishing boats capsized off the coast of San Diego, California, emergency officials said on Sunday.

San Diego Fire-Rescue said in a statement that a search and recovery operation began late Saturday night, when the department received calls about fishing boats in distress off the coast of San Diego’s Black’s Beach.

A 911 caller said she had been on a fishing boat with eight people that had made it to shore, but that there was another boat with 8 to 10 people aboard that had capsized, the statement said.

Emergency crews from agencies including the fire department, San Diego Police, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Coast Guard responded to the scene and found two overturned panga fishing boats and lifeless bodies spread over an area of about 400 yards (366 meters).