One dead and three missing after boat sinks near Alcatraz
A 50-foot cabin cruiser carrying 20 adults went down in San Francisco Bay after witnesses reported rough water, officials said.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
One person died and three people were still missing Tuesday after a boat carrying 20 adults sank in San Francisco Bay near Alcatraz Island, according to local authorities.
The San Francisco Fire Department and the U.S. Coast Guard were called at about 3:30 p.m. for a reported boat fire between the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz, officials said. When rescuers arrived, San Francisco Fire Chief Dean Crispen said they did not see evidence of fire.
A San Francisco police marine unit reached the scene first and found a man in the water in severe distress, Crispen said. Officers pulled him aboard and started CPR before he was taken to Gashouse Cove, where he was pronounced dead.
Officials first believed 19 people had been aboard, but Crispen said witness accounts later put the number at 20.
Thirteen passengers were brought safely to shore, and three others were taken to a hospital in stable condition, according to Crispen. He said most of the injuries appeared to be impact injuries from people jumping into the bay.
Three people remained missing as search crews worked the water around Alcatraz. Crispen said 11 vessels were involved in the operation, and crews planned to keep searching through the night.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie described the response as an active search and said officials wanted families to know crews were still working to find the missing boaters.
What officials know about the boat
San Francisco Fire Lt. Mariano Elias identified the vessel as the Volare, a 50-foot cabin cruiser based out of Stockton. Officials said it sank about 600 yards from Alcatraz.
The cause of the sinking was not immediately clear. Crispen said the vessel had left from the St. Francis Yacht Club, and the first emergency report described a boat on fire.
According to Crispen, witnesses reported rough seas before the vessel began taking on water and turned over in the bay.
All of the people aboard were adults, Crispen said. He said most were family members and that officials understood they were using the boat for some kind of memorial service.
Families directed to Fort Mason
Officials opened a family reunification center at Fort Mason, west of Fisherman’s Wharf. Crispen said the 13 people who were brought safely to shore were at that center.
The initial rescue involved the San Francisco Fire Department, the U.S. Coast Guard, a San Francisco police marine unit, the Oakland Police Department’s marine unit and private vessels, Crispen said.
Authorities asked anyone who believes a family member may have been aboard the boat and needs information to call the Red Cross at 1-800-RED CROSS, or 800-733-2767.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS News.