A new report has concluded that the drowning deaths of eight people aboard a boat owned by a DoorDash executive in Lake Tahoe were caused by two avoidable mistakes. The incident occurred on June 21, 2025, when Joshua Pickles, 37, a high-ranking executive at the online food delivery company, took his family and friends on a pleasure cruise in his 28-foot Chris-Craft boat named 'Over the Moon' to celebrate his mother Paula Bozinovich's 71st birthday.
Among the deceased were Pickles' parents, Terry Pickles, 73, and Paula Bozinovich, as well as Peter Bayes, 72; Timothy O'Leary, 71; Theresa Giullari, 66; James Guck, 69; and Stephen Lindsay, 63. The only survivors were Amy Friduss, 40, a nurse from New York, and her mother Julie Lindsay, 65. According to police reports obtained by the Bay Area News Group, they were the only individuals wearing life vests that day.
Doug Powell, former commander of the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Department Marine Unit, stated in the report that if the deceased had worn flotation devices, they would likely still be alive. He also noted that the boat, operated by Joshua, was in the rough area of Emerald Bay when the catastrophe occurred. Staying in relatively safer waters might have saved them.
The day began with clear weather, but dark and stormy conditions quickly developed, generating eight-foot-high waves that capsized the boat. The report also highlighted that the victims attempted to return to shore while carrying a beverage cooler as heavy waves crashed over them. Additionally, they did not call 911 for help before the 54-degree Fahrenheit water overwhelmed the boat, which stalled approximately 50 to 100 yards off D.L. Bliss State Park. A massive wave then flipped the vessel.
An autopsy report released last August revealed that six of the eight victims had alcohol in their systems. Survivor Amy Friduss told El Dorado County Sheriff's Deputy Mathew Grey that she tried her best to help everyone but they had 'no sense of urgency.' She recounted that the boat began taking on water from waves, and the engine stopped. She urged everyone to bail out water, but there was no urgency. The occupants began arguing, and the boat turned sideways to the waves and wind, taking on more water until it flipped.
The boat was recovered by a salvage company and examined by National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators and the Coast Guard. Officials found life jackets still in the boat's storage compartments and determined there was no evidence of grounding or a hull leak. Life jackets are only required for children aged 13 and under on moving recreational vessels; adults are not obligated to wear them, though the operator must ensure enough personal flotation devices are available for everyone onboard.
Following the tragedy, Jordan Sugar-Carlsgaard, Pickles' wife, expressed her devastation, stating, 'We lost my loving husband, Josh Pickles, his parents, Terry Pickles and Paula Bozinovich, and Uncle Peter Bayes, as well as friends in this tragedy. No words can express the pain and anguish we feel knowing their lives were lost during what was meant to be a joyful time on the lake.' Sugar-Carlsgaard had stayed on shore with the couple's seven-month-old daughter that day.
Both survivors, Lindsay and Friduss, also suffered immense loss, as Stephen 'Zippy' Lindsay, Julie's husband and Amy's father, died in the water. Lindsay had just retired and was planning to spend her years with her husband, according to a GoFundMe page set up for the mother and daughter, which urged people to 'hold your loved ones tight. Be kind. Embrace every moment of this beautiful, fragile life.'
