Clifford Joseph Boisa, 79, of Sutter County, has been identified as the person who died when a 20-passenger boat capsized near Alcatraz Island on Tuesday afternoon. Three individuals remain missing.
The vessel, described as a three-level pontoon boat, was approximately 600 yards off Alcatraz, between the island and the Golden Gate Bridge, when it began to sink. The U.S. Coast Guard initially responded to reports of a vessel fire, but San Francisco Fire Department officials found no evidence of a fire upon arrival.
Rescue efforts found the boat largely submerged, with only the top deck visible. Some passengers were in the water, while others were still on the sinking vessel. The majority of injuries sustained by passengers were reportedly due to the sudden plunge into the bay's cold waters.
Witnesses, including commercial fishermen Mike Montoya and Justin Marceline, described pulling survivors from the water. They reported seeing individuals banging on windows and noted that some passengers were not wearing life vests. A dog also perished in the incident.
Boisa's death was confirmed by authorities, and the search for the three missing passengers is ongoing. The Coast Guard and San Francisco Fire Department are utilizing thermal imaging, tide prediction, and modeling to aid in the search efforts. The passengers aboard the boat are believed to have been family members participating in a memorial, according to NBC Bay Area.