A privately owned 49-foot cabin cruiser carrying about 20 people capsized roughly 600 yards from Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay on July 14, 2026, according to authorities [1, 2, 3]. The boat was transporting members of an extended family who had gathered to scatter ashes during a memorial service [3].

One person, 79-year-old Clifford Joseph Boisa of Sutter County, died after being pulled from the water. Fire Chief Dean Crispen said rescuers "immediately initiated CPR, transported that patient to the shore. They were declared deceased" [1]. Three others remained missing following the incident [1, 2, 3]. Sixteen people were rescued from the vessel, some seriously injured, with survivors mostly taken to Gashouse Cove Marina and several hospitalized [1, 2, 4, 3].

The boat sank after being hit by a wave, causing it to lose stability and roll over. Initial reports of a fire on board were later ruled out, with no evidence found of any blaze [1, 4, 3]. At least one rescued person suffered severe injuries in the water [1, 2, 4]. A dog aboard the craft also died [3].

Rescue efforts deployed by the San Francisco Fire Department, US Coast Guard, Oakland police, and Good Samaritans involved helicopters, planes, multiple surface vessels, thermal imaging, and tide modeling. The search covered about 950 square nautical miles over nearly 23 hours with 11 boats and 4 aircraft [1, 2, 4, 3].

Fire Chief Crispen described the rescue mode as urgent and continuous, while Coast Guard Sector San Francisco Commander Capt. Jarod Toczko said, "Suspending an active search is one of the most difficult things we do as Coast Guard commanders. Our goal is always to bring home families' loved ones" [1, 4, 3]. The rescue was suspended on the evening of July 15 after an exhaustive operation [3].

The boat had three enclosed levels, raising concerns some missing may be trapped inside underwater at approximately 130 feet depth [3]. The exact number of missing varies by source; most report three missing, though some say two [1, 2, 4, 5, 3].

The next step involves authorities assessing underwater recovery options, but as of the search suspension on July 15, no additional survivors were found.