The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search Wednesday for three people still missing after a pontoon boat capsized roughly 600 yards off Alcatraz Island the previous day. The incident left one person dead.
“Suspending a search is one of the hardest parts of the job, and our condolences are with the families of all involved,” Coast Guard Commander Capt. Jarod Toczko said in a statement Wednesday evening.
Toczko noted that 20 people were rescued during the multi-agency response. The cause of the capsizing remains under investigation.
San Francisco Fire Department Chief Dean Crispen said the initial distress call came in at 3:37 p.m. local time Tuesday. A marine unit arriving first on scene spotted a man in the water in severe distress and immediately began CPR. The man was pronounced dead after being brought to shore.
The victim was identified as 79-year-old Clifford Joseph Boisa, a resident of Sutter County, approximately two hours north of San Francisco, according to the San Francisco Medical Examiner’s Office.
Crispen said the 50-foot, three-deck cabin cruiser Volare was carrying 20 adults, mostly family members, who were conducting a memorial service when the vessel went down. Three passengers sustained injuries and were transported to a local hospital in stable condition.
