Search teams continued scouring San Francisco Bay on Wednesday for three people still unaccounted for after a boat went down in the cold, current-driven waters near Alcatraz Island during what authorities described as a memorial service.
Rescue crews pulled one person from the bay, but that individual later died. Sixteen others were brought to safety after the vessel got into trouble Tuesday afternoon. A dog that was also on board did not survive.
A captain from a nearby boat who rushed to the scene said the water was choppy with rough waves at the time. Video footage captured Tuesday showed multiple rescue vessels deployed around the stricken boat, which had nearly sunk beneath the surface with debris floating around it.
When rescuers arrived, the boat’s motor was still running and leaking fuel into the water, according to San Francisco Fire Chief Dean Crispen.
“Our understanding was there was some kind of memorial service that they were engaging in,” Crispen told reporters at a news conference. “They were hit by a wave or took on water, and the boat capsized.”
A department spokesperson, Lt. Mariano Elias, described the vessel as a 50-foot multilevel cabin cruiser.
“Fire department boats are still searching now,” Elias said in a written statement to The Associated Press Wednesday morning.
By Tuesday evening, the search had expanded into the open ocean on the western side of the Golden Gate Bridge, with divers, helicopters, and watercraft all participating in the effort.
According to the Pacific Open Water Swim Company, the average water temperature in the bay during July is around 59 degrees Fahrenheit — cold, but not immediately life-threatening on its own.
All 16 survivors were transported to the Gashouse Cove Marina in San Francisco. A yellow tarp was seen covering a body on one of the docks.
Alcatraz Island, once known as a federal prison considered impossible to escape due to its treacherous surrounding waters, now serves as a popular tourist destination. It sits roughly a mile off San Francisco’s shoreline in an area frequently buffeted by wind and popular with sailboats and recreational vessels.
Elias said the boat was approximately 600 yards from Alcatraz when the emergency call came in just after 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. The vessel was believed to have launched from near the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco. A club representative who answered the phone said the organization had no information about the incident.
