Rescuers were still searching for three missing people on Wednesday after a boat involved in a memorial service sank in the cold, fast-moving waters of San Francisco Bay near Alcatraz Island, authorities said.
One dead, 16 rescued after boat capsizes
At least one person died and 16 people were rescued after the boat capsized on Tuesday afternoon in what witnesses described as “rough seas”, San Francisco’s fire chief, Dean Crispen, said at a news conference.
“Apparently the vessel began to take on water and was turned over in the bay,” Crispen said. The vessel’s motor was still running and leaking fuel when rescuers arrived, he added.
First responders found a “severely injured” individual upon arriving at the vessel and initiated CPR. The person was brought to shore, where they were declared deceased. Divers and helicopters were also dispatched to the scene to aid in rescue efforts.
Vessel details and search efforts
Lt Mariano Elias, a fire department spokesperson, described the boat as a 50ft (15-meter) “pontoon pleasure boat” with a cabin and upper deck, named Volare, documented out of Stockton, California. A dog onboard also died.
Search teams were using thermal imaging, tide prediction and modeling to guide their efforts, the department said. By Tuesday evening, authorities were searching the open ocean west of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Initial callers reported what appeared to be smoke coming from the boat, but San Francisco police officers who first reached the vessel determined it was steam.
Route and timeline
The boat departed from or near the St Francis Yacht Club, passed under the Golden Gate Bridge twice and visited Angel Island, a state park in the bay, before the apparent return trip, according to the ship-tracking website VesselFinder. A person who answered the phone at the yacht club on Tuesday said they had no information.
Alcatraz Island was once an infamously inescapable federal prison due to the chilly waters and strong currents that surround it. The island is about a mile (1.6km) off San Francisco and is now a popular tourist destination.
Elias said the vessel was about 600 yards (about 550 meters) from Alcatraz and the emergency call came in just after 3.30pm.
