Tondra Miller, 58, has been identified as the second person to die when a 49-foot boat carrying 20 people capsized in fast-moving waters near Alcatraz Island on Tuesday. Authorities are continuing to search for two individuals believed to be trapped in the vessel's hull.
Miller, of Folsom, was identified by the San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. She was a family friend who had gathered on the boat, the Volare, with 19 others to scatter the ashes of Maria Boisa, a nurse who died by suicide in 2015.
Clifford Joseph Boisa, 79, was previously identified as the first victim. His brother, Ralph Boisa, stated that the two missing individuals are his sister, Carol Boisa, and his sister-in-law, Jackie Boisa.
Of the 20 people on board, 16 were rescued. A massive search effort was launched by the Coast Guard, involving 11 boats and four aircraft covering 950 square nautical miles for 23 hours. The search was suspended Wednesday evening.
"We have completely saturated the search area," Coast Guard Captain Jarod Toczko said at a press conference. "Suspending a search is one of the hardest parts of our job and our condolences are with the families of all involved."
Toczko indicated a "high possibility" that the missing passengers became trapped inside the Volare as the boat sank to depths up to 130 feet. The vessel's depth and the conditions have made dive recovery impossible for now. The San Francisco Police Department continued searching on Thursday.
Ralph Boisa described how his daughter, Yvonne Thatcher, her husband, and their three sons were on the boat. He recounted that they were "trying to get out, banging on the windows," and that his daughter managed to escape. He explained that the family chose to scatter Maria Boisa's ashes at sea because she loved the water.
Clifford Joseph Boisa, a former reserve deputy for the Sutter County Sheriff's Office, was pulled from the water but later died from his injuries. His dog also perished.
Witnesses reported seeing passengers clinging to the hull as the boat sank. According to ship-tracking data, the Volare had passed under the Golden Gate Bridge and visited Angel Island State Park before the incident.
The Volare is owned by John Boisa, 62, a Navy veteran, and his wife Miriam Lyell, 63. John Boisa stated that the family is grieving.
Captain Toczko described the capsizing as occurring when a large wave made the Volare unstable, causing it to "list heavily" and roll to starboard. The exact cause of the vessel losing stability is still under investigation.