3 remain missing after boat capsized near Alcatraz during memorial
Three people remained missing July 15 after a boat carrying 20 people capsized in the San Francisco Bay near Alcatraz Island, and the U.S. Coast Guard said it is possible they were trapped inside the vessel as search crews prepared to suspend active rescue operations.
Despite extensive search efforts, authorities had found no additional survivors, said Coast Guard Sector San Francisco Commander Jarod Toczko. Search crews had covered about 950 square nautical miles since the vessel overturned on July 14, according to Toczko.
"As I look at the extensive search effort we have put forth to this point, I look at the probability of success of locating a survivor within the search area given everything we've put forth, and all the environmental conditions, my intention is to suspend active search operations at sunset this evening," Toczko said at a news conference on July 15.
The update came hours after San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said in a video posted on X that the Coast Guard and San Francisco Fire Department were continuing to search for the three missing people.
The San Francisco Fire Department received reports of a vessel in distress or on fire about 600 yards off Alcatraz Island at around 3:37 p.m. local time on July 14, Fire Chief Dean Crispen said. The San Francisco Police Department's marine unit was first to arrive at the scene and pulled a man from the water who was in "severe distress," according to Crispen. He was later pronounced dead.
Authorities revised the number of people aboard the vessel from 19 to 20. Thirteen people were rescued and returned home, while three others were taken to local hospitals and later released, Crispen said.
Victim identified in San Francisco Bay boat accident
The man who died in the incident was identified as Clifford Joseph Boisa, 79, from rural Sutter County in the Sacramento Valley, the San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said on July 15.
Boisa was a retired reserve deputy at the Sutter County Sheriff's Office. He was with the agency from 1987 to 2001, according to the sheriff's office.
"The Sutter County Sheriff's Office is saddened to learn of the passing of Retired Reserve Deputy Clifford Boisa ... His years of dedicated service and commitment to public safety will not be forgotten," the sheriff's office said in a statement.
Coast Guard: Missing people may be inside the sunken boat
During the July 15 news conference, Toczko said there was a possibility the three missing people could still be inside the sunken boat.
"There is a high possibility that individuals could have been trapped inside the vessel," he said, adding that the three-level boat's main deck and lower deck were both enclosed.
"We've done survivor debriefs and we do know that individuals were in the main deck and potentially below deck," Toczko said.
Commercial fisherman Mike Montoya, 38, said he was among the first people to reach the scene. He said he could "see people that were below the waterline inside the boat where the windows were covered by water" and that they were banging on windows in an apparent attempt to break them.
Authorities know where the boat sank but have not yet pinpointed its exact location on the bay floor. The vessel is believed to be resting in about 130 feet of water, a depth that presents significant challenges for dive operations, Toczko said.
Most of the San Francisco Bay is less than 30 feet deep, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers San Francisco District.
Boat carrying 20 people as part of a memorial service
The vessel, a 49-foot cabin cruiser registered in Stockton, California, departed from the St. Francis Yacht Club before encountering rough conditions in San Francisco Bay, according to authorities. Witnesses reported heavy seas, and the boat either was struck by a wave or took on water before capsizing.
"This was mostly family members of one another who were on this vessel," Crispen said.
Authorities previously said the 20 people were on the boat for a memorial service. A dog aboard the boat was also confirmed dead, the San Francisco Fire Department said in a news release.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said he did not have answers about who the person being honored was or the relationship that person had to the passengers on the boat.
Search efforts continued through the night of July 14, with crews using thermal imaging technology, tide predictions and modeling to guide rescue operations, officials said.
Alcatraz Island is open to tours, and the National Park Service told the USA TODAY Network that the ship was "outside of National Park Service jurisdiction, and it did not impact operations."
(This story was updated to add new information.)
Contributing: Reuters
Paris Barraza is a reporter covering Los Angeles and Southern California for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at pbarraza@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 3 remain missing after boat capsized near Alcatraz during memorial
Reporting by Paris Barraza, Victoria Franco and Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY
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This story was originally published July 15, 2026 at 8:57 PM.