Coast Guard to Suspend Search as Three Still Missing After Alcatraz Boat Tragedy
3 remain missing after boat capsized – San Francisco authorities are preparing to wind down active rescue operations after a vessel carrying twenty individuals capsized in the bay waters near Alcatraz Island. As of July 15, three people remain unaccounted for, and U.S. Coast Guard officials believe these individuals may have become trapped within the sunken craft as search teams worked through the night.
Commander Jarod Toczko of Coast Guard Sector San Francisco announced during a press briefing that the agency intends to halt active search efforts at sunset on July 15. He explained that after evaluating the comprehensive search operation, environmental factors, and the probability of finding additional survivors within the established search zone, the decision to suspend operations was made.
As I look at the extensive search effort we have put forth to this point, I look at the probability of success of locating a survivor within the search area given everything we’ve put forth, and all the environmental conditions, my intention is to suspend active search operations at sunset this evening.
Search crews have already covered approximately 950 square nautical miles since the vessel overturned on July 14. Despite these extensive efforts, no additional survivors have been discovered. Toczko noted that there remains a strong possibility the three missing passengers are still inside the three-level boat, which features both an enclosed main deck and a lower deck where witnesses observed people trapped.
Timeline of the July 14 Incident
The San Francisco Fire Department received initial reports of a vessel in distress approximately 600 yards from Alcatraz Island at 3:37 p.m. local time on July 14. Fire Chief Dean Crispen stated that the San Francisco Police Department’s marine unit arrived first at the scene and rescued a man from the water who was in severe distress. That individual was subsequently pronounced dead.
Commercial fisherman Mike Montoya, age 38, was among the earliest responders to reach the scene. Montoya described seeing people below the waterline inside the boat, with windows covered by water, and observed them banging on the glass in what appeared to be an attempt to break free.
Victims and Survivors Identified
Authorities initially reported nineteen people aboard the vessel but later revised the count to twenty. Of those aboard, thirteen were rescued and returned home, while three others were transported to local hospitals before being released. The deceased individual has been identified as Clifford Joseph Boisa, a 79-year-old resident of rural Sutter County in the Sacramento Valley, according to the San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
Boisa served as a retired reserve deputy with the Sutter County Sheriff’s Office from 1987 to 2001. The sheriff’s office issued a statement expressing their sorrow: “The Sutter County Sheriff’s Office is saddened to learn of the passing of Retired Reserve Deputy Clifford Boisa … His years of dedicated service and commitment to public safety will not be forgotten.”
Search Challenges and Vessel Details
The 49-foot cabin cruiser, registered in Stockton, California, departed from the St. Francis Yacht Club before encountering rough conditions in San Francisco Bay. Witnesses reported heavy seas, and the boat either was struck by a wave or took on water before capsizing. Authorities know the general location where the vessel sank but have not yet determined its precise position on the bay floor.
The boat is believed to be resting in approximately 130 feet of water, a depth that creates significant challenges for dive operations. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers San Francisco District, most of the San Francisco Bay is less than 30 feet deep, making this an unusually deep location for a vessel to rest.
Mayor Daniel Lurie confirmed in a video posted on X that both the Coast Guard and San Francisco Fire Department continued searching for the three missing individuals. He noted that most people aboard were family members of one another and that the group had been on the boat for a memorial service. A dog aboard the vessel was also confirmed dead by the San Francisco Fire Department. Mayor Lurie stated he did not yet have information about who was being honored or their relationship to the passengers.
Search efforts extended through the night of July 14, with crews utilizing thermal imaging technology, tide predictions, and modeling to guide their rescue operations. Officials emphasized that the combination of depth, weather conditions, and the enclosed nature of the boat’s decks made locating the missing passengers particularly difficult.
