One dead after San Francisco Bay boat capsizes near Alcatraz, 3 missing

The person who died when a tour boat carrying members of a large family capsized in the frigid waters of San Francisco Bay near Alcatraz Island was identified as a former California reserve sheriff’s deputy.

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 Wednesday as the U.S. Coast Guard and local agencies continued an extensive search of the bay. Sixteen more people were rescued, including three people who were taken to local hospitals.

According to a report by The New York Times, the passengers were members of an extended family gathered in San Francisco Bay for a memorial service that included the scattering of a loved one’s ashes.

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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.

When first responders arrived, they found no signs of fire but instead discovered that the boat had capsized and was mostly submerged.

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.

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Rescuers pulled people from the water after a pleasure boat capsized near Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay on Tuesday, leaving one person dead and two missing. (KTVU)

Authorities have not yet determined what caused the boat to sink. But officials said strong summer winds and rapidly changing conditions in San Francisco Bay could create dangerous boating conditions.

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.”

The Coast Guard and San Francisco Fire Department continued to search Wednesday for the three missing passengers, using boats, helicopters, thermal imaging, tide forecasts and drift modeling.

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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)

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The Sutter County Sheriff’s Office told Fox News Digital it did not provide 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.

Fox News Digital’s Michael Sinkewicz contributed to this report.