San Diego man, 12-year-old nephew go missing on Baja fishing trip

A San Diego man and his 12-year-old nephew went fishing in Mexico and have not returned.

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On Oct. 10, 40-year-old Oscar Ulloa headed out on a boat with his nephewto go fishing offBaja California. They were only supposed to be gone for a couple of hours, but they have not been heard from since, KNSD-TV first reported.

“We’re praying that he’s out there and we really want to reach out to anyone who has family in the northern Sea of Cortez that could keep an eye out and let everyone know that there’s a boat missing in that area,” Ulloa’s cousin Alister Barradell told the news outlet. 

The pair disappeared as the country grapples with back-to-back hurricanes due to this year’s extraordinary El Niño. Hurricane Rachel, fueled partially by El Niño, ripped its way through Baja California on Oct. 10, killing at least eight people.

The Mexican naval authorities and civil protection units launched an exhaustive search, using air and sea vessels to sweep the area, according to the California Post. Vice Admiral Juan Carlos Vera Minjares told the outlet that crews had searched more than9,900 square nautical miles. The search team spotted a life jacket and cooler but has not connected them to the missing boat. The family also hired a private plane to search in the area. 

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“It’s pretty scary and traumatizing to know there’s a kid with him lost at sea,” Barradell told KNSD.

As the latest expected tropical storm, Hurricane Trudy, moves inward, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico warned travelers that Mexico’s Pacific coast, including Guerrero, Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco could experience dangerous conditions beginning Friday, including life-threatening flooding and mudslides, deadly rip currents and rogue waves.