A boat carrying 20 people capsized and sank near Alcatraz island, home to the famous former prison in San Francisco Bay, leaving one person dead and three missing. Emergency responders, including divers and helicopters, rushed to the scene after receiving reports of a boat on fire at approximately 3:35 p.m. local time, according to San Francisco Fire Chief Dean Crispen.
Rescue and Recovery Efforts
Chief Crispen confirmed that teams responded to a call about "a boat on fire, 600 yards (548 metres) off Alcatraz" Island. Officials initially reported two missing but later revised the tally to three based on witness accounts. Sixteen people were pulled to safety. The deceased was conscious when retrieved from the icy waters but later died despite CPR efforts. "They immediately initiated CPR, transported that patient to the shore. They were declared deceased," Crispen said.
Three injured individuals were transported to hospital and were expected to be discharged Tuesday night. A canine passenger also perished. All rescued individuals were brought ashore at Gashouse Cove Marina, a compact harbour in San Francisco.
Incident Details and Investigation
The vessel was believed to have launched near the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco. The maritime emergency was initially flagged as a blaze, "but we now don't have any evidence of that," Crispen noted. Footage showed boats mobilising to retrieve people from the stricken vessel, which was mostly underwater with debris scattered about.
Aaron Anfinson, skipper of the Bass-Tub, told the San Francisco Chronicle that his vessel was heading toward the Golden Gate Bridge in "pretty windy, a little choppy" conditions when someone on a smaller craft gestured towards a pontoon boat that appeared ablaze. By the time the Bass-Tub arrived, the fire had been extinguished, but the pontoon was sinking.
Location and Context
Alcatraz Island sits in San Francisco Bay roughly a mile (approximately 1.6 kilometres) north of the city's coast, in a frequently breezy area popular with sailing boats and leisure craft. The former federal prison was notoriously inescapable due to powerful ocean currents and icy Pacific waters. Today, it serves as a tourist attraction. "Right now we are in full rescue mode," Crispen added, as search efforts continued for the missing individuals.
