Coast Guard suspends search for 3 missing after Alcatraz boat capsize
One dead, three missing after boat sinks near Alcatraz
A tragic boat capsize near Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay left one person dead and three missing and sparked a massive search by multiple agencies. Senior reporter Claudia Cowan detailed on air that the 49-foot cabin cruiser was carrying 20 adults for the memorial and capsized due to rough seas. Authorities are investigating the exact cause of the accident as rescue efforts continue in cold waters.
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The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search Wednesday evening for three people missing after a boat carrying members of an extended family capsized near Alcatraz Island during a memorial cruise in San Francisco Bay.
The 49-foot cabin cruiser sank on Tuesday afternoon with 20 people on board. One person, identified as 79-year-old Clifford Joseph Boisa of Sutter County, died after being pulled from the water, while 16 people were rescued. A dog on the ship also died.
The group gathered to scatter the ashes of a loved one during a family memorial service, officials said.
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San Francisco Fire Department and U.S. Coast Guard teams continue to search San Francisco Bay for three people missing after a recreational boat capsized near Alcatraz Island on July 15, 2026. One person died in the incident. (Tayfun Coşkun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“Suspending an active search is one of the most difficult things we do as Coast Guard commanders,” Capt. Jarod Toczko, Coast Guard Sector San Francisco Commander, said at a news conference Wednesday. “Our goal is always to bring families’ loved ones home.”
Toczko said the crew searched for about 23 hours, using 11 surface ships and four aircraft, covering about 950 square nautical miles and more than 1,700 miles of search path, and later determined that the likelihood of finding any other survivors was very low. Families of the missing were informed before the search was suspended.
Authorities said the boat hit a wave, listed heavily on its side, lost its balance and rolled over before sinking. Investigators found no evidence of the fire initially reported by callers and concluded that what was thought to be smoke was likely steam from the sinking ship, Toczko said.
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The ship had three closed decks, and interviews with survivors showed that some passengers were on the main and lower decks when the boat capsized, officials said. Toczko emphasized that it is still possible that some of the missing passengers were trapped inside the ship when it sank, but investigators have not reached any conclusions.
First responders stand next to a body following a boat crash near Alcatraz Island off the coast of San Francisco on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
The San Francisco Fire Department said three survivors were transported to local hospitals and later released, while 13 others were treated at a reunification center after being rescued. Fire Chief Dean Crispen confirmed that one person and one dog died in the incident.
General view of Alcatraz Island near San Francisco, California, on August 16, 2024. (Loren Elliott/Getty Images)
Authorities believe the boat is resting in waters about 130 meters deep, near where it sank. San Francisco police said the crew had to locate the ship before using an underwater drone to assess whether it could be rescued safely. Divers generally cannot work safely at depths above 120 feet, officials said.
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Good Samaritans, including nearby fishermen and other boaters, helped save lives before emergency crews arrived, Toczko said.
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“These people saved lives,” he said.
Authorities said the pleasure cruise ship was heading to St. Petersburg in San Francisco. He said he left the area near St. Francis Yacht Club and visited Angel Island on his way back from the bay before the emergency occurred. The cause of the sinking is being investigated.
