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.
Besides the things outlined by the Coast Guard (and I thank them for their service), 10 people on a 27ft boat is too many. If there had been no more than six people on the boat all wearing life preservers, there may have been more survivors.
My thoughts and prayers are with the survivor, and with the family and friends of those souls who were lost in this tragic accident.
No mention if this was a private party or a commercial outing. Ten people on a 27 ft. boat is a bit much. Were they wearing life jackets? Given the conditions, hard to believe they weren’t.
A big thanks to the first responders, you gave it your best !
The loss of so many people is very sad, My thoughts and prayers go out to all who are impacted by
this tragic accident. Was this boat a rental, or owned by the one of the people on the boat?
10 people on a 27′ boat is too many either way. Where there enough life vests for all on board?
The answers to these questions should be in the head lines in the next few days. Weather conditions
are one thing, to many people on a boat that size in another. Safety should always be first. Having fun is second.
10 people on a 27 foot boat may be too much, especially given the conditions and the fact that they had less than a year of boating experience. I found interesting the choice of words that the first responders “brought two souls to the rocks”. I think they meant to say “two bodies” what a tragedy and a testament to the force of mother nature, RIP