Mexican Hurricane Victims Found

Rescuers on Saturday found the bodies of more fishermen drowned by Hurricane Ismael, increasing the death toll from the Pacific Ocean storm to at least 20, television reports said.

Helicopters patrolling the turbulent waters off the Pacific coast of Sinaloa state in northwestern Mexico had recovered 20 bodies by Saturday, according to the newspaper El Debate de Los Mochis.

Twenty-five boats presumed to have sunk during the Thursday night hurricane are still missing, and many fear the death toll could rise much higher.

Winds reached 80 mph with gusts of 100 mph.

The news program 24 Horas reported Saturday that the storm sank 19 boats. It hit land at about 9 p.m. Thursday north of Los Mochis, about 750 miles northwest of Mexico City.

Hurricane Ismael was downgraded to a tropical storm Friday. The rains had stopped by Saturday.

Ismael brought heavy rainfall to Sinaloa and neighboring Chihuahua state, which has been suffering a severe drought.

A slightly stronger storm earlier this month, Hurricane Henriette, sideswiped the lower tip of the Baja California peninsula.