Six Dead, Two Missing After Capsize on Lake Tahoe

Six people have died and two were missing after a power boat capsized near D.L. Bliss State Park, South Lake Tahoe, on Saturday. Ten people were aboard the boat when a storm came through the area, bringing 30-knot winds and a 6- to 8-foot swell, the Coast Guard reported. At approximately 3 p.m. a response crew from Coast Guard Station Lake Tahoe diverted to assist California State Parks and the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office after receiving a report of 10 people in the water. Authorities confirmed that six people died, two were injured, and two were missing following the capsize of the 27-ft Chris-Craft vessel.

Mercury News reported on witnesses describing sudden north winds that “whipped up the waves, creating 8- to 10-foot troughs.” The National Weather Service recorded gusts of up to 45 mph in the South Lake Tahoe area between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday. The weather service had issued a wind advisory for the Tahoe basin (gusts up to 45 mph and choppy lake water) but did not issue a similar alert for Saturday. 

According to the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, a seasonal lifeguard and ranger brought two souls onto the nearby rocks and started CPR. The two individuals were transported to a local hospital.

The search for two remaining people continued throughout Saturday afternoon and evening; it resumed Sunday morning but was suspended at 10:55 a.m. Responders, including aircraft and dive teams, had covered 390 square miles. The remains of the missing two were subsequently found on Monday.

“Suspending a search is always a difficult decision to make and weighs heavily on each Coast Guard member involved,” Coast Guard Cmdr. David Herndon said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of those involved in the boat capsize.”

The confirmed deceased are all adults. At the time of this report, no names have been released.

Elsewhere on the lake boats were smashed against each other, some sinking at their docks. The brief but fierce conditions lasted less than two hours, with warm, sunny conditions resuming by evening.

The Coast Guard urges all mariners, experienced or not, to always wear a life jacket, check the weather conditions before heading out onto the water, file a float plan, and carry a working VHF radio to call for assistance.