A family\u2019s frantic wait for answers has stretched into its sixth day as a massive search-and-rescue operation races against time to locate a missing San Diego uncle and his 12-year-old nephew who disappeared off the coast of Baja California.<\/p>\n
Oscar Ulloa, 40, and his young nephew, Adrian Caro Villares, headed out to sea off San Felipe early on Saturday morning for what was meant to be a few-hour fishing trip.<\/p>\n
The pair vanished as Tropical Storm Rachel <\/a>slammed into the Baja California peninsula, bringing destructive winds and severe flooding that killed at least eight people<\/a> in the region.<\/p>\n Oscar Ulloa, 40, and his nephew, Adrian Caro Villares, 12, vanished after heading out for a fishing trip. Facebook\/Alistair Barradell<\/p>\n The pair vanished as Tropical Storm Rachel slammed into the Baja California peninsula. Facebook\/Alistair Barradell<\/p>\n Neither has been heard from since.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s pretty scary and traumatizing to know there\u2019s a kid with him lost at sea,\u201d Mr Ulloa\u2019s cousin, Alister Barradell, told NBC San Diego<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cDuring that time, the weather did turn bad, so we\u2019re not sure if we had engine problems or something more catastrophic,\u201d Barradell added.<\/p>\n Mexican naval authorities and civil protection units have launched a sweeping air and sea operation in the Upper Gulf of California. Vice Admiral Juan Carlos Vera Minjares confirmed that six naval units, including coastal patrol boats and a specialized search aircraft, had combed more than 9,900 square nautical miles.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u00d3scar Ulloa is pictured in an undated photo. Facebook\/Alistair Barradell<\/p>\n San Felipe in Baja California. Getty Images<\/p>\n During the exhaustive sweep, search crews reportedly spotted a cooler and a life jacket floating in the water, though authorities have not yet confirmed if the items belonged to the missing vessel.<\/p>\n Desperate for a breakthrough, the family has taken matters into their own hands, hiring a private aircraft to assist search teams from above.<\/p>\n Relatives are also pleading with local fishermen and residents in the northern Sea of Cortez to stay vigilant and report any sightings.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re praying that he\u2019s 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,\u201d Barradell said.<\/p>\n Search efforts remain ongoing.<\/p>\n Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters <\/p>\n California Post News: Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, TikTok<\/a>, X<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, WhatsApp<\/a>, LinkedIn<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t\t
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