Alcatraz boat victim identified as 79-year-old; Coast Guard ends search for 3 missing
an old one California reserve deputy sheriff The person who died when a tour boat carrying members of a large family capsized in the freezing waters of San Francisco Bay near Alcatraz Island has been identified.
Clifford Joseph Boisa, 79, of Sutter County, died Tuesday afternoon when his three-level pleasure craft with 20 people on board sank, authorities said. The Sutter County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to Fox News Digital that Boisa served as a reserve deputy sheriff starting in 1987.
Three passengers were still missing after 16 people were rescued on Wednesday, including three who were taken to local hospitals.
US Coast Guard It plans to suspend the search for the three missing passengers at sundown after crews spent nearly 23 hours searching more than 950 square nautical miles of San Francisco Bay, it said Wednesday.
“We have completely saturated the search area,” Coast Guard Sector San Francisco Commander Capt. Jarod Tosczko said at a news conference Wednesday, thanking Good Samaritans who helped rescue people from the water.
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Tosczko said it was possible the three missing passengers were trapped inside the 49-foot ship, which was about 130 feet below the surface. Investigators plan to use an underwater drone to locate the boat before deciding whether to rescue the victims and remove the ship.
The passengers were members of an extended family who had gathered for a memorial service that included the scattering of a loved one’s ashes. San Francisco BayAccording to a report by The New York Times.
The pilot of the boat was among those hospitalized and was later released, officials said.
Authorities said that everyone on the ship was either a relative or a close family friend, and that there were no children on board. The names of the three missing passengers were not disclosed.
San Francisco Fire Chief Dean Crispin said crews were dispatched around 3:35 p.m. local time after receiving reports of a fire on a ship about 2,000 feet off Alcatraz Island, between the old prison and the Golden Gate Bridge.
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When first responders arrived, they found no signs of fire but instead discovered that the boat had capsized and was mostly submerged while returning from Angel Island.
The San Francisco Police Department’s marine unit found the ship with only its upper deck above water, Crispin said. The boat’s engine was still running and fuel was leaking into the bay.
He said one person was found in the water, while the remaining passengers were in the upper compartment of the ship before rescuers pulled them to safety.
Authorities have not yet determined what caused the boat to sink. Inspectors examine factors such as the ship’s stability and weather and water conditions.
Authorities said the boat was exposed to waves, filled with water, rolled over and sank, but the investigation continues.
Strong summer winds and rapidly changing conditions on the San Francisco Bay dangerous boat conditions.
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San Francisco Fire Department and U.S. Coast Guard crews searched San Francisco Bay on July 15, 2026, before authorities announced plans to suspend efforts to find the three missing passengers. One person died in the incident.
Commercial fishermen Mike Montoya and Justin Marceline, who rushed to help after the ship sank, described a frantic rescue effort as passengers scrambled to escape.
“People were banging on the windows like they were coming out, and as soon as people got in the water we were trying to scoop them up as fast as we could,” fishermen told NBC Bay Area. “Some of them didn’t even have life jackets and were drowning.”
Before announcing plans to suspend the search, Coast Guard and San Francisco Fire Department crews searched for the three missing passengers using boats, helicopters, thermal imaging, tide forecasts and drift modeling.
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The Sutter County Sheriff’s Office told Fox News Digital it had no additional information about Boisa. Fox News Digital has also reached out to the San Francisco Fire Department for additional information.
Authorities said the ship was heading to St. Petersburg in San Francisco. He said he left the area near the St. Francis Yacht Club. The cause of the sinking is being investigated.
Boisa’s family did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Michael Sinkewicz contributed to this report.
Original article source: The Alcatraz boat victim was identified as 79 years old; Coast Guard ends search for 3 missing people
