One dead, three missing after cabin cruiser capsizes near Alcatraz

A 49-foot cabin cruiser named Volare capsized in the San Francisco Bay Tuesday night, killing one adult and leaving three others unaccounted for, authorities said. The vessel, which had departed from the St. Francis Yacht Club with 20 adults on board, took on water and overturned in rough seas between Alcatraz Island and the Golden Gate Bridge.

Sixteen passengers survived; three were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries and were expected to be released later that night. The remaining 13 uninjured survivors were taken to an assistance center at Fort Mason, where the city’s Human Services Agency and the American Red Red Cross provided support.

San Francisco Fire Chief Dean Crispen said the boat appeared to be steaming rather than on fire, and no evidence of fire or explosion was found. The cause of the capsize is under investigation, though officials noted the vessel was hit by a wave in “rough seas.”

Search and rescue operations involved the San Francisco fire and police departments, the U.S. Coast Guard, Oakland and Richmond police, Tiburon firefighters, the Southern Marin Fire Protection District, and private vessels. Responders used boats, aircraft, thermal imaging and tide-modeling technology to continue searching for the missing passengers.

Mayor Daniel Lurie posted that search teams were still looking for the three missing people and thanked first responders for their efforts. City Supervisor Stephen Sherrill warned that the Bay’s waters can be hazardous and emphasized the importance of life jackets.

A dog aboard the Volare also died. Investigators will examine factors such as life-jacket use and the vessel’s condition as part of the ongoing inquiry.