Editors: Photographs of the dead and missing individuals will soon be available through the Associated Press. Editors: This 4 p.m. update on Wednesday, March 29, adds information about the rescued students. THREE CONFIRMED DEAD IN UC DAVIS BOAT ACCIDENT Three people have now been identified as having died in the Monday boating accident involving a research expedition in the Sea of Cortez led by an ecology professor from the University of California, Davis. This information is based on eyewitness accounts and on reports given to UC Davis officials by the U.S. consulate in Tijuana, Mexico. In addition to Michael D. Rose, a postgraduate researcher who had been reported dead on Tuesday, now confirmed as dead are two professors of ecology from Kyoto University in Japan: Takuya Abe, 55, and Masahiko Higashi, 45. Confirmed as missing and believed dead are Gary Polis, chair of the Department of Environmental Science and Policy and the expedition leader, and Shigeru Nakano, 37, another Kyoto University researcher. Confirmed Monday as rescued are these individuals from UC Davis: postgraduate researcher Gary Huxel, undergraduate student Sarah Ratay, graduate student Becca Lewison and graduate student Ralph Haygood. Lewison, 28, is a Ph.D. candidate in ecology and Ratay,of Corning, 20, is majoring in genetics. Haygood of Fresno, 35, is a Ph.D. candidate in population biology. UC Davis Chancellor Larry N. Vanderhoef said the accident was "the most tragic in the history of the university" and "our hearts go out to all of the families." The researchers were part of an expedition of about 20 people visiting the Sea of Cortez to study the ecology of spiders and scorpions that inhabit the area's islands. A delegation from UC Davis left on Tuesday to join the surviving expedition members in Mexico. It is not known yet when the group will return to the United States; that depends in part on the progress of the Mexican investigation of the accident. Grief counselors are assisting friends and colleagues on campus. A delegation of Japanese representatives from Kyoto University and family members is traveling now to the United States. The accident occurred late on Monday. An undetermined number of the research group left the town of Pueblo de Bajia de Los Angeles, about 300 nautical miles south of San Diego, Calif., on Monday morning in two 22-foot open, inflatable research boats to conduct research on Isla de Cabeza de Caballo, located about 4 nautical miles off shore. Both boats headed back to port mid-day, but became separated when the wind whipped up four- to six-foot waves. When the crew of one boat arrived at port and realized the other vessel had not yet arrived, it returned to search for that boat. The boat was reported missing to officials in Mexico at 10:30 p.m. Monday night. Several survivors were discovered on the Isla de Los Gemelos. They reported that their boat had begun to take on water and flipped over. Some of the group swam for land, while others stayed with the capsized boat, survivors said. Witnesses and survivors said everyone in the capsized boat had been wearing a life jacket. Because the incident occurred in Mexico's territorial waters, the search effort is being led by the Mexican Navy using a helicopter, fixed-wing aircraft and high-speed boat. The U.S. Coast Guard is helping in the search with a C-130 fixed-wing aircraft and a helicopter. The Coast Guard craft are searching two areas, each 20 miles by 40 miles in size. The offices of U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Congressman Doug Ose have been working with the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City to assist in the search efforts, and to assure the safe return of all those who took part in the expedition. The News Service will update this advisory as more news becomes available.