1 Dead, 3 Missing After Boat Sinks Near Alcatraz During Memorial Service
SAN FRANCISCO — A 50-foot cabin cruiser carrying about 20 people on a family memorial service capsized and sank in San Francisco Bay near Alcatraz Island on Tuesday afternoon, leaving one person dead and three others missing as a massive multi-agency search operation continued into Wednesday.
Sixteen people were rescued from the frigid waters approximately 600 yards off Alcatraz after the vessel, named the Volare, took on water and overturned around 3:30 p.m. PDT, according to the Associated Press. The deceased has been identified as Clifford Joseph Boisa, 79, of Sutter County, California. A dog aboard the vessel also died.
A Memorial Trip Turns Deadly
The passengers — mostly family members who had chartered the boat for a memorial service — departed from or near the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, passed under the Golden Gate Bridge twice, and visited Angel Island State Park before the return trip, when disaster struck.
San Francisco Fire Chief Dean Crispen said witnesses reported rough seas with swells reaching up to 5 feet. “Our understanding was there was some kind of memorial service that they were engaging in,” Crispen told ABC7 News. “They were hit by a wave or took on water, and the boat capsized.”
Initial reports of a fire were later determined to be steam from the vessel’s engine. First responders arrived to find the three-deck pontoon boat nearly fully submerged, with its motor still running and leaking fuel into the bay.
Heroic Rescues Amid Chaos
Commercial fishermen Mike Montoya and Justin Marceline were among the first to reach the victims, pulling people from the water as the boat went down. They described a harrowing scene to NBC Bay Area.
“There was even people banging at the windows as they were like filing out, and as soon as people were hitting the water, we were just trying to pick them up as fast as we can,” they said. “Some people didn’t even have life vests on and they were drowning.”
James Smith, a charter fishing boat captain with 35 years of experience, also responded. “I’ve been a charter operator for 35-plus years, and it’s pretty horrific anytime you see an accident like this,” Smith told NBC Bay Area.
Three survivors were hospitalized in stable condition but were released by Wednesday morning.
Massive Search Operation Underway
The U.S. Coast Guard, San Francisco Fire Department, San Francisco Police Marine Unit, and agencies including Oakland Police, Richmond Police, Tiburon Fire, and Southern Marin Fire joined the search effort. The Coast Guard deployed the cutter Barracuda, other vessels, and fixed-wing aircraft.
“Right now we are in full rescue mode,” Crispen said Tuesday night, as reported by the New York Post.
Search teams are using thermal imaging, tide prediction, and modeling technologies to guide their efforts. By Tuesday evening, authorities had expanded the search to the open ocean west of the Golden Gate Bridge. The boat sank in approximately 120 feet of water in a shipping channel, complicating salvage operations.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie called the response an “all-hands-on-deck search and, hopefully, rescue,” expressing condolences to the family of the deceased.
Dangerous Waters and Unanswered Questions
The waters around Alcatraz are notoriously treacherous, with strong currents, cold temperatures averaging around 59°F, and complex wind patterns. Lt. Joseph England of the Richmond Police Department noted that wind coming under the Golden Gate Bridge toward Alcatraz created hazardous conditions.
“If you have a smaller vessel and you don’t know what you’re doing and you’re hitting those swells sideways, it can lead to disaster,” England told the AP.
However, some boating experts expressed surprise at the incident. John McNamara of the Red and White Fleet told USA Today that “today was not a bad day to be boating,” while Charles Jennings of Bay Voyager questioned whether the vessel was suited for the conditions.
The exact cause of the sinking remains under investigation. The Coast Guard had not yet determined when the search would transition from rescue to recovery operations as of Wednesday.
What to Watch For
Authorities continue searching for the three missing individuals, whose identities have not been released. Salvage crews are working to recover the sunken vessel, which may provide clues about what caused the Volare to go down so rapidly. The tragedy has reignited discussions about boating safety in San Francisco Bay’s challenging waters.
“You don’t know the feeling until you see it and it happens first-hand,” rescuer Justin Marceline said. “It’s nothing I’d like to experience again.”