1 dead, 3 missing after boat sinks near Alcatraz Island off San Francisco
One person and a dog are dead, and three people remain missing after a three-deck, 50-foot cabin cruiser carrying 20 people sank Tuesday afternoon in the rough, frigid waters of San Francisco Bay near Alcatraz Island.
The passengers, believed to be mostly family members visiting from outside the Bay Area, had chartered the Volare cabin cruiser to hold a memorial service for a loved one.
Emergency crews and good Samaritans pulled 16 survivors from the water, bringing them to shore at Gashouse Cove Marina near the Fort Mason Center. Three of the rescued passengers were taken to a local hospital in stable condition with injuries sustained from falling into the water. They were expected to be released Tuesday evening.
The victim who died was alive when rescue crews plucked him from the water but later succumbed. A dog onboard also died in the wreck. Authorities initially reported 19 people were onboard with two missing but updated the passenger total to 20 during an evening briefing.
San Francisco Fire Lt. Mariano Elias said the emergency call came in just after 3:30 p.m. reporting a vessel in distress about 600 yards from Alcatraz. The boating mishap was initially reported as a fire, but San Francisco Fire Chief Dean Crispen said there was no evidence of that, and no burn injuries were reported.
First responders arrived to find the vessel mostly submerged, with the motor still running and leaking fuel. Crispen said the boat is believed to have launched near the St. Francis Yacht Club, though the club had no immediate information on the incident.
The ensuing search and rescue operation included divers, helicopters, 11 boats, jet skis and several private boaters.
“Right now we are in full rescue mode,” Crispen said Tuesday night. San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie called the massive, multi-agency response an “all-hands-on-deck search and hopefully rescue.”
Mike Montoya and Justin Marceline of the East Bay were on a nearby charter boat and jumped into action as the boat went down. They described a chaotic scene, with only the top deck visible above the water and passengers trapped inside a lower deck.
“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 of Berkeley, captain of the charter fishing boat California Dawn, spotted the overturned vessel shortly after passing under the Golden Gate Bridge and arrived just as Coast Guard rescuers got to the scene.
“I’ve been a charter operator for 35-plus years, and it’s pretty horrific anytime you see an accident like this,” Smith said.
Live video from the scene showed a man and a woman wrapped in blankets, sitting on a curb before walking to a nearby ambulance. Survivors were reunited with their families with assistance from the American Red Cross. Crispen noted that families were incredibly upset as they awaited news on the missing.
Multiple agencies, including the Coast Guard, Oakland police, and the Richmond Police Department’s marine unit, assisted in the response.
“The Richmond Police Department remains committed to supporting our partner agencies whenever called upon,” the department said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with the families and loved ones affected by this tragic incident.”
“This is obviously a tragic situation,” San Francisco Supervisor Stephen Sherrill said. “Our thoughts are with the victims and their families.”
Statement from the American Red Cross:
“Our hearts go out to those impacted by the tragic boat incident near Alcatraz in San Francisco. The American Red Cross is working closely with emergency management, local officials and community partners to help ensure those involved receive the care and support they need. The Red Cross supported with immediate needs such as providing dry clothing, food, blankets, and comfort kits. Our Disaster Mental Health and Spiritual Care teams remain available to offer support and care to those affected. We remain committed to working alongside our partners to help meet evolving needs as recovery efforts continue.”
Authorities are expected to provide additional details Wednesday morning as the search mission continues.
What caused the 50-foot cabin cruiser to sink near Alcatraz?
Boating experts are questioning what caused a three-level, 50-foot cabin cruiser carrying 20 people to sink near Alcatraz as first responders continue their search and rescue efforts.
While the exact cause of the incident remains unknown, local boat operators have offered conflicting views on the water conditions in San Francisco Bay when the vessel overturned.
San Francisco Fire Chief Dean Crispen said witnesses described rough seas right before the boat capsized.
“The reports we have from witnesses are that there were rough seas and apparently a vessel began to take on water and was turned over in the bay,” Crispen said.
Charles Jennings, owner of the tour company Bay Voyager, noted that the bay’s waters are unforgiving and said the size of the vessel stood out to him.
“I would be concerned to see a boat of that size out there with that many people in that wind out there,” Jennings said. “If I were to see a boat out there, I’d expect it to be a very hearty vessel or perhaps a good sailboat.”
However, John McNamara, an operator with the Red and White Fleet who was on the bay Tuesday afternoon, said the conditions did not seem extreme and do not entirely explain what happened.
“From spending as much time as I have in the San Francisco Bay, today was not a bad day to be boating,” McNamara said.
McNamara was nearby when the cabin cruiser went down and immediately prepared his crew to assist.
“I directed my crew to put on the man overboard gear in case there were people I needed to pull out,” McNamara said. “As I got closer, I can see people on the water and stuck on the vessel.”
A Coast Guard lieutenant stated that more information about the boat will be released as the situation evolves, but the current focus remains strictly on the search and rescue of the missing passengers.
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