One American has been confirmed dead in the accident, which came after a sudden storm upended the boat before dawn Sunday, spilling dozens of tourists and crewmembers into the water. The identity of the dead man was not released.
By early Monday, 19 of the tourists and all 16 crewmembers had been picked up by the navy or other fishing boats after clinging to coolers, rescue rings and life vests for more than 16 hours.
Mexican navy, army and state officials met late Monday to discuss the search and there were reports they would call off rescue efforts. But instead they announced the search would continue over an extended area.
Mexican navy Capt. Benjamin Pineda Gomez said that with the warm weather and water temperature in the Gulf of California, it's still possible that the missing tourists are alive.
“A person who casts away can survive many days. That sea is calm,” he said.
Most of the 27 men on the fishing excursion are from Northern California and had made the trip before.
Gary Wong was on the trip with three brothers, Glen, Craig and Brian, all from the San Francisco Bay Area. The group had made the trip twice before, according to a relative, who asked not to be named. Brian Wong, of Berkeley, is still missing.
“We’re not leaving until we find him,” Gary Wong told “Good Morning America” on Tuesday. “One way or another.”
Pius “Pete" Zuger was among a group of eight friends who came to Mexico in two cars for the fishing trip. They had hoped to catch a lot of yellowtail, said his wife, Jackie Zuger, of Novato, California.
As of Monday night, all but one of the men, Russell Bautista, had been accounted for.