The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search Wednesday evening for three people who remain missing after a boat carrying members of an extended family capsized near Alcatraz Island during a memorial outing in San Francisco Bay.
The 49-foot cabin cruiser sank Tuesday afternoon with 20 people aboard. One person, identified as 79-year-old Clifford Joseph Boisa of Sutter County, died after being pulled from the water, while 16 others were rescued. A dog aboard the vessel also died.
Authorities said the group had gathered to scatter the ashes of a loved one during a family memorial service.
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“Suspending an active search is one of the most difficult things we do as Coast Guard commanders,” Coast Guard Sector San Francisco Commander Capt. Jarod Toczko said during a Wednesday news conference. “Our goal is always to bring home families’ loved ones.”
Toczko said crews searched for about 23 hours using 11 surface vessels and four aircraft, covering roughly 950 square nautical miles and more than 1,700 miles of search track before determining there was little likelihood of finding additional survivors. Families of the missing were notified before the search was suspended.
Officials said the boat was struck by a wave, listed heavily, lost stability and rolled over before sinking. Toczko said investigators found no evidence of the fire initially reported by callers, concluding that what was thought to be smoke was likely steam from the sinking vessel.
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Authorities said the vessel had three enclosed levels, and survivor interviews indicated some passengers had been inside the main and lower decks when the boat capsized. Toczko said it remains possible some of the missing passengers became trapped inside as the vessel sank, though he stressed investigators have not reached any conclusions.
The San Francisco Fire Department said three survivors were transported to local hospitals and later released, while 13 others were treated at a reunification center after being rescued. Fire Chief Dean Crispen confirmed that one person and one canine died in the incident.
Officials believe the boat rests in waters roughly 130 feet deep near where it went down. San Francisco police said crews first must locate the vessel before using an underwater drone to assess whether it can safely be recovered. Divers generally cannot operate safely at depths beyond 120 feet, officials said.
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Toczko credited good Samaritans, including nearby fishermen and other boaters, with helping save lives before emergency crews arrived.
“Those folks saved lives,” he said.
Officials said the recreational vessel departed from the area near San Francisco’s St. Francis Yacht Club and had visited Angel Island before the emergency occurred while returning across the bay. The cause of the sinking remains under investigation.
