On Wednesday afternoon, the U.S. Coast Guard announced that it was suspending its search for three people who were lost when a 50-pontoon boat named Volare capsized and started to sink near Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay.
One man was fished from the water and given CPR. Clifford Joseph Boisa, 79, year was pronounced dead when his body was delivered to EMTs ashore.
Twenty persons, all members of one family, were rescued and several had to be taken to the hospital due to injuries sustain in the capsize. Three of the guests aboard are missing and presumed drowned.
“Suspending a search is one of the hardest parts of the job and our condolences are with the families of all involved,” said coastguard commander Capt Jarod Toczko in a statement on Wednesday evening, local time.
San Francisco Fire Chief Dean Crispin said that his department had received notice that a boat was in distress near Alcatraz. At first, they though the boat was on fire but once on the scene they could see that the Volare was sinking and her passengers were clinging on for their lives.
According to a report from Reuters, longshoreman Justine Marceline was part of the rescue crew and said, “it was complete chaos when we showed up.”
“Every time we had to grab a person, each one of them, either they were exhausted or they were frantic and were flailing,” Marceline said.
Chief Crispin identified the Volare as a three-decker cabin cruiser with pontoon hulls. As of Thursday, the SFFD and the Coast Giard were investigating the tragedy and had not established the cause of the capsize . The party aboard was apparently out on the water for a memorial service.
