A 50-foot pontoon boat sank in San Francisco Bay on Tuesday afternoon during a memorial service, killing at least one person and leaving three others missing in the cold, fast-moving waters near Alcatraz Island.
The vessel, named Volare and documented out of Stockton, capsized in rough seas roughly 600 yards from the island. Rescuers recovered 16 people from the water, including one person who was severely injured upon arrival. That individual was transported to shore where they were pronounced dead. A dog aboard the boat also died.
The pontoon began taking on water before capsizing, according to San Francisco Fire Chief Dean Crispen. When first responders arrived, the vessel's motor was still running and leaking fuel into the bay. Initial reports of smoke from the boat turned out to be steam, fire department officials clarified.
Search efforts expanded rapidly after the 3.30pm emergency call. Divers and helicopters deployed to the scene while teams worked through the evening, eventually searching the open ocean west of the Golden Gate Bridge by Tuesday night. On Wednesday, rescuers continued hunting for the three missing people using thermal imaging, tide prediction models, and ocean current analysis to guide their operations.
Ship-tracking data showed the Volare had departed from or near the St Francis Yacht Club, passed under the Golden Gate Bridge twice, and visited Angel Island, a state park in the bay, before beginning what appeared to be a return trip when disaster struck.
Alcatraz Island, located about a mile offshore, was once a maximum-security federal prison infamous for its isolation in treacherous waters. The island is now a major tourist destination, though the currents and temperature that made it an escape-proof prison remain lethal.
Author James Rodriguez: "Three people still unaccounted for in those brutal bay waters is a stark reminder that even familiar stretches of water can turn deadly fast."
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