A boat capsized near Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay on Tuesday, July 15, on the way to a memorial service. One person is dead and three people are still missing. According to the SFGATE, the boat was a three-story, 49-foot cabin cruiser vessel named Volare.
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One Person Dead After Boat Capsizes Near Alcatraz
One person has died and three people are still missing after the boat capsized, according to San Francisco Fire Department Lt. Mariano Elias. Elias said the boat became distressed and sank at approximately 3:37 p.m. Initial reports indicated that the vessel caught fire, but San Francisco Fire Chief Dean Crispen said the boat capsized after encountering rough seas.
“They were hit by a wave or took on water,” said Crispen. “And the boat capsized.”
The boat was carrying 20 people on their way to a memorial service when it capsized. By the time the police arrived, only one story of the three-story vessel was visible. “People had jumped out of the boat itself,” said Elias. He added that what witnesses thought was fire was actually steam from the vessel’s engine.
One Person Died After Being Found In The Water In Distress
One person died after being found in the water in distress. WPDE identified the person as 79-year-old Clifford Joseph Boisa. Boisa was given CPR but was later pronounced dead. A dog was also found dead at the scene. Three more people had non-life-threatening injuries and were taken to the hospital. It is believed that most of the people on the boat are family, but the authorities did not release their names or sexes. According to NBC News, all of the passengers were also adults. Floating devices and life jackets were on the boat, but it is unknown how many passengers were wearing a jacket.
Video Captured The Boat Sinking
The National Desk captured video of the boat as it sank. Footage of the search for the three missing passengers was also shared with viewers. Elias also noted that divers couldn’t search the vessel because it sank to the bottom of the San Francisco Bay in the deepest part.
“The boat is 120 feet at the bottom of the bay right now,” he said.
However, the Coast Guard is searching areas where survivors may try to reach. The San Francisco Police Department is currently investigating what led to the accident.
