Video: 1 Dead & 3 Missing After Vessel Capsizes Near Alcatraz In San Francisco Bay

The U.S. Coast Guard on Wednesday suspended its search for three people missing after a cabin cruiser carrying 20 family members and friends capsized near Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay, leaving one person dead and three others presumed dead.

The 49-foot cabin cruiser, Volare, overturned on Tuesday afternoon after being struck by a wave while returning from a memorial trip to scatter the ashes of a family member.

Seventeen people were rescued from the cold waters of the bay during a large-scale operation involving the Coast Guard and several local emergency agencies.

After searching about 950 square nautical miles over 54 combined hours, the Coast Guard ended the operation on Wednesday evening after failing to find the missing passengers or the sunken boat.

“Suspending a search is one of the hardest parts of our job and our condolences are with the families of all involved,” Coast Guard Sector San Francisco Commander Capt. Jarod Toczko said in a statement.

The Coast Guard received a report at about 3:20 p.m. local time on Tuesday of a fire aboard the vessel. The number of people on board was initially reported as 19 before being updated to 20.

When first responders reached the scene, they found that what had appeared to be smoke was actually steam and that the boat was taking on water and sinking.

Coast Guard crews from Air Station San Francisco, Station San Francisco and Station Golden Gate responded along with the San Francisco Police Department, San Francisco Fire Department, Oakland Fire Department, Tiburon Fire Department and the Marin County Sheriff’s Office. A triage centre was set up at Gashouse Cove in San Francisco.

One man died after being pulled from the water despite CPR efforts. The San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner later identified him as 79-year-old Clifford Joseph Boisa.

Three other passengers remain missing and are presumed dead after the search was suspended. Three survivors were taken to hospital and later released, while a dog aboard the vessel also died, San Francisco Fire Chief Dean Crispen said.

According to family members, the group had gone out to scatter the ashes of Clifford Boisa’s daughter, who died more than a decade ago in her 30s.

Ralph Boisa, Clifford’s brother, said the passengers included extended family members and a few close friends. He identified the three missing people as his sister Carol, Clifford’s wife Jackie and a friend of his late daughter.

“We’ve gone through a lot of tragedy over the years,” Ralph Boisa said. “We’re pretty broken up here.”

Officials said the boat was hit sideways by a wave before taking on water, listing heavily and rolling over.

Toczko said some passengers were on the main deck while others were below deck when the vessel capsized, adding there was a “high possibility” that some people became trapped inside.

Witnesses reported seeing people banging on the windows as the boat sank.

Video Credits: Roya News English

Two fishermen, Justin Marceline and Michael Montoya, were among the first to reach the scene after spotting what they thought was smoke.

“We just started yanking people out,” Marceline told The Associated Press.

He said some survivors were in the water without life jackets while others clung to a windsurfer’s board. He threw lead fishing weights towards people trapped inside the boat in the hope they could break the windows, but they were too weak.

“It was like Titanic in real life,” Marceline said. “There was stuff everywhere. People were banging on the glass.”

Montoya said they rescued eight or nine people, including the captain, before emergency crews arrived.

Toczko praised the nearby boaters who joined the rescue effort. “No question, no doubt… those people saved lives,” he said.

Authorities said life jackets were available on the vessel, and some survivors were wearing them when they were rescued.

Fire Chief Crispen said witnesses reported rough seas with swells of up to five feet (1.5 metres), although conditions were not severe enough for the National Weather Service to issue a small craft advisory.

Officials also noted that water temperatures below 60 degrees Fahrenheit (15 degrees Celsius) can cause cold-water shock, reducing a person’s strength and ability to move within minutes.

The Volare, which was registered in Stockton, California, had departed from a San Francisco marina earlier in the day. According to VesselFinder, it passed under the Golden Gate Bridge twice, visited Angel Island State Park and was returning to San Francisco when it capsized near Alcatraz Island.

Kirk Miller, a local sailor with a master mariner licence, said the weather was not unusually rough and suggested the way passengers were positioned on the boat may have affected its stability.

Authorities have identified the area where the boat sank but have not yet determined the depth.

San Francisco Police Commander Brien Hoo said officials will decide whether to use divers or an underwater drone to inspect the wreck once its exact location and depth are confirmed. He said diving operations would be difficult if the vessel is deeper than 120 feet (37 metres).

Reference: USCG