The U.S. Coast Guard rescued at least 16 people from the Pacific Ocean roughly 140 miles west of Ensenada, Baja California, early Friday and was still searching for 11 others believed missing as of the weekend, officials said.

A distress call came in around 1 a.m. Friday, and responding crews found people in the water with no vessel in sight, according to reporting carried by ABC11 that cited the Associated Press. Three of those pulled from the water were taken to Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego, including one person with a suspected shark bite and two others treated for cold-water exposure.

Survivors told rescuers that as many as 27 people had been aboard the vessel, but search crews have so far recovered only debris, and the type of boat involved remains unknown. The Associated Press reported 11 people are believed missing, though other coverage described authorities as still searching for "several others" without a firm count.

A Known Smuggling Route — But Not Confirmed as One

The stretch of water off Baja California is a documented route for human-smuggling operations, but it is also regularly used by fishing boats and private vessels. A San Diego fire official described the incident as consistent with smuggling, but the Coast Guard has not officially confirmed that characterization, per FOX 11 Los Angeles.

CREWS FOUND PEOPLE IN THE WATER — WITH NO VESSEL IN SIGHT

Coast Guard aircraft and a cutter, along with a U.S. Navy helicopter, joined Mexican maritime authorities in the search over the following day, according to coverage picked up by The Star, which cited Xinhua and AP reporting. As of Saturday, the search for the missing remained active.

The Coast Guard has not released the nationalities of those rescued or the missing, and no cause for the vessel's disappearance has been determined. Scripps Mercy Hospital has not released additional details on the condition of the three people it treated.