Bucerías, Nayarit, July 16, 2026 — Three kayakers who disappeared from a relative’s view off Bucerías were found floating in life jackets after becoming separated from their vessels, prompting a search by Mexican Navy rescuers based in Puerto Vallarta.
The group included one person from Mexico, one from Canada and one from the Netherlands. A family member called for help after losing sight of the occupants of two kayaks that had moved farther offshore.
Personnel from ENSAR Vallarta, the Naval Search, Rescue and Maritime Surveillance Station attached to Puerto Vallarta’s 12th Naval Zone, deployed aboard a Defender rescue boat. Crews searched in limited visibility before locating the three people in the water.
None of the kayakers was still aboard a kayak when rescuers reached them. All three were wearing life jackets, which kept them afloat until the Navy boat arrived.
The group was taken across the bay to the 12th Naval Zone pier in Puerto Vallarta. Naval medical personnel evaluated them, provided hydration, and found no injuries or health complications requiring further treatment. They left with their relatives after the examination.
The Navy’s public account did not specify how far the group had traveled from shore, how long they were missing or why they became separated from the kayaks. Officials also did not say whether the vessels were overturned, carried away by the current or recovered during the operation. No cause involving wind, waves or equipment failure has been confirmed.
Although the rescue occurred off Bucerías in Nayarit, the response came from ENSAR Vallarta on the Jalisco side of Bahía de Banderas. It was at least the second publicly reported rescue by that station in Nayarit waters since early June. On June 1, ENSAR Vallarta personnel rescued a man from an overturned and partially submerged boat near Playa Careyeros in Punta de Mita.
The Bucerías operation also followed a Mexican Navy maritime rescue exercise off Olas Altas one week earlier. That drill tested the response to a capsized vessel and people stranded or drifting in the water.
Kayak emergencies have required other local agencies as well. In December 2025, Puerto Vallarta lifeguards pulled two foreign tourists from the sea near Los Arcos after a wave overturned their kayak.
The Navy’s ENSAR emergency guidance recommends telling family or friends the planned route before leaving shore. Emergency callers should provide the type and color of the vessel, the number of people involved, and coordinates or visible coastal landmarks when an exact position is unavailable.
Maritime emergencies can be reported through 911 or the Navy’s national 800 MARINA 1 line at 800-627-4621.
