A suspected smuggling boat crashed into a reef and capsized off the San Diego coast on Sunday, leaving three dead and 27 others injured. Authorities described the boat utilized in the suspected smuggling operation as a 40-foot cabin cruiser, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported. The said boat was spotted by the authorities off the coast of Point Loma before 10 in the morning.

Jose Ysea, spokesman for the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, noted that that the 27 passengers had sustained "varying degrees of injuries." All victims were taken to local hospitals.

Boat Crashed in San Diego Coast

The boat utilized in the suspected smuggling operation hit the reef near Point Loma, causing the passengers to jump off the boat, New York Post reported. San Diego lifeguard Lt. Rick Romero shared that the boat had broken apart when it hit the said reef near the Point Loma Peninsula.

"It is very rocky over there, and the waves, while they weren't too high, they looked pretty strong," Ysea said. He also noted that the strength of the waves crashing on the boat is enough to slam the transportation into the rocks.

Romero added that they saw people drowning and "getting sucked out the rip current," while there were people on the shore. He further mentioned to Associated Press that they rescued about seven from the waves, including the three people who were dead. Romero noted that the numbers of people they rescued kept on increasing.

"Conditions were pretty rough: five to six feet of surf, windy, cold," Romero said.

The total number of individuals rescued by the authorities is 30, composed of 22 who managed to make it to the shore on their own, one person rescued from the cliff, and the seven people rescued from the waves.

Moreover, authorities emphasized that there were life preservers present in the boat. However, it was not clear whether how many or if any passengers were wearing them.

A Suspected Smuggling Boat

Officials emphasized that the 40-foot boat was overloaded. Authorities furthered that the boat utilized is larger than the "typical open-top wooden panga-style" boats. These kinds of boats were reported to be used by smugglers in bringing undocumented migrants into the United States.

Moreover, New York Post mentioned that border patrol agents typically spot the boats off the coast of San Diego. The outlet added that the boats usually spotted by authorities are overcrowded, unsafe, and not well equipped.

"Every indication from our perspective was this was a smuggling vessel," said Jeff Stephenson, a supervising agent from the U.S. Border Patrol.

Agents are dispatched to the hospitals preparing to interview the survivors of the tragic incident on the San Diego coast. San Diego fire officials noted that they assigned 93 people to work on the incident. Medics, engine crews, and chaplains were among the people assigned.

Meanwhile, the boat captain will also be interviewed. Stephenson described the captain as the smuggler. The authorities have not yet identified the nationalities of the individuals who were rescued.

WATCH: 3 dead, 27 injured when suspected smuggling boat capsizes off coast of Point Loma - from The San Diego Union-Tribune