A deadly maritime accident has left one person dead and three others unaccounted for after a multi-deck recreational vessel capsized in rough waters roughly 600 yards off California’s Alcatraz Island on Tuesday, local emergency authorities confirmed.
San Francisco Fire Department Chief Dean Crispen shared updated details on the incident during a public press briefing, noting that the first emergency call came into local dispatch at 15:37 local time. Initial reports incorrectly referenced a vessel on fire, but when first responders arrived at the scene, they found no evidence of an active blaze. Instead, witness statements and on-site assessments confirmed that choppy bay waters caused the 50-foot three-deck pontoon boat to take on water rapidly before overturning.
The first marine rescue unit to reach the overturned boat pulled a man in critical distress from the cold bay water and immediately initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation, Crispen said. Despite emergency intervention, the man was pronounced dead after being brought back to shore.
All 20 people on board were part of a group of mostly family members who had gathered on the boat to hold a memorial service, according to Crispen. Of the 20 passengers, three injured survivors were transported to a nearby local hospital for treatment, and all three remain in stable condition as of Tuesday evening. Thirteen other passengers were able to get to safety without injury and have returned to shore.
Two local civilians, longshoreman Justin Marceline and fisherman Mike Montoya, were among the first to jump in to assist with rescue efforts before official emergency teams arrived. Marceline described the scene as total chaos when they arrived, telling Reuters that every passenger pulled from the water was either exhausted from struggling against the current or panicked and flailing in the rough conditions.
As of Tuesday evening, a joint search and rescue operation is ongoing, led by the San Francisco Fire Department and supported by the U.S. Coast Guard. Rescue teams have committed to continuing the search for the three missing people through the night, leveraging specialized maritime search assets to cover the surrounding bay area.