A pontoon pleasure boat capsized and sank in the San Francisco Bay near Alcatraz Island on Tuesday, killing one person and leaving two others missing. Nineteen people were aboard the vessel when it went down roughly 600 yards from the famous island.
First responders arrived to find a severely injured individual who was pulled from the water and given CPR. The person was brought to shore but was pronounced dead. Of the 16 people rescued, 13 were able to walk off the boat, while three others required hospital treatment for injuries sustained during the incident. A dog aboard the vessel also died.
San Francisco Fire Chief Dean Crispen said there was no fire on board despite initial reports suggesting otherwise. The exact cause of the capsizing remains unclear. When firefighters reached the scene, the boat was leaking fuel with exhaust still coming from the operating motor. Only the top level of the vessel remained visible above the water's surface before it fully sank.
The rescue effort expanded quickly after the incident. The Coast Guard deployed 11 boats, helicopters, and divers to search for the missing people. Crispen told reporters the search would continue for hours. He noted that based on tide and wind patterns, anyone still in the water would likely be moving eastward, though he did not provide a specific estimate of the search area's size.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie called it an "all-hands-on-deck search and hopefully rescue" operation. He also expressed condolences to the deceased passenger's family and friends.
The boat is believed to have departed from St Francis Yacht Club in the Marina district. All passengers aboard were adults. Some of the rescued individuals suffered impact injuries from falling into the water and were being treated at a San Francisco hospital.
Alcatraz Island draws millions of visitors annually, many coming to tour the historic former federal penitentiary that housed some of the country's most notorious inmates.
Author James Rodriguez: "A tragedy unfolding just yards from one of America's most iconic tourist spots, with search teams racing against tide and darkness to find two people in the bay."
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