A memorial gathering turned tragic after a boat carrying 20 people overturned near Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay, leaving one person dead, three missing, and several others injured as rescuers continued an extensive search operation.
One person has died, and three others remain missing after a boat carrying family members capsized near Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay on Tuesday afternoon.
Emergency crews were called to the scene at about 3:37 p.m. local time after receiving reports of a vessel in distress approximately 600 yards (550 metres) from the historic island.
San Francisco Fire Department Chief Dean Crispen said the first marine rescue team to arrive found a man in the water suffering severe distress.
Rescuers immediately began cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), but the victim was pronounced dead after being brought ashore.
Authorities said the boat was carrying 20 people, most of them relatives who had gathered for a memorial service on the water.
A large-scale search involving the San Francisco Fire Department and the US Coast Guard continued into Tuesday evening as crews looked for the three people still unaccounted for.
Three other passengers sustained injuries and were taken to a nearby hospital.
Officials said all three were in stable condition.
The remaining 13 passengers were rescued safely and did not require medical treatment.
Investigators are still working to determine exactly what caused the vessel to overturn.
Earlier in the day, emergency dispatchers had received reports suggesting the boat was on fire.
However, Chief Crispen later clarified that rescue crews found no evidence of a fire when they arrived.
Instead, witness accounts indicated that rough water conditions caused the approximately 50-foot, three-deck cabin cruiser to begin taking on water before it eventually capsized in the bay.
Civilian rescuers who arrived before emergency crews described frantic scenes as passengers struggled to stay afloat.
Longshoreman Justin Marceline, who helped pull survivors from the water alongside local fisherman Mike Montoya, said the situation was chaotic.
“It was complete chaos when we showed up,” Marceline said.
“Every time we had to grab a person, each one of them, either they were exhausted, or they were frantic and were flailing.”
Authorities have not yet released the identity of the person who died, and the search for the three missing passengers remains ongoing.
Investigators are expected to examine weather conditions, the vessel’s condition and other factors as they work to establish what led to the fatal accident.
