One dead, two missing after boat capsizes near Alcatraz

One person died and two others remained missing Tuesday after a pontoon boat carrying 19 people capsized and sank near Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay, authorities said.

Sixteen people were rescued after the vessel went down about 600 yards off the island around 3:35 p.m., San Francisco Fire Chief Dean Crispen said. Thirteen people were safely brought to shore, and three others were taken to hospitals for treatment. A dog that had been aboard the boat also died.

Firefighters and other responders launched an extensive search in the bay, deploying 11 boats, divers and helicopters. The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed search-and-rescue efforts were ongoing Tuesday afternoon.

“We are going to continue for hours to make sure that we find these two missing people, if possible,” Crispen told reporters.

The incident was first reported as a boat fire, but Crispen said no first responders had reported seeing flames and there was no indication of a blaze. The cause of the capsizing remained unclear Tuesday.

Responders found a capsized three-deck pontoon boat when they arrived, Crispen said. Some people were already in the water, others were on the sinking vessel, and others were falling into the bay. The Guardian reported that first responders found one “severely injured” person, began CPR and brought the individual to shore, where the person was pronounced dead.

Some passengers suffered impact injuries from falling into the water, according to officials. All of the people aboard are believed to have been adults.

The boat was leaking fuel when authorities arrived, and exhaust was coming from its still-running motor, Crispen said. Only the top level of the boat was above water at that point, and the vessel later sank beneath the surface. Fire Lt. Mariano Elias described it as a “pontoon pleasure boat.” Crispen said it appeared to be a recreational-type vessel, though investigators were still gathering information.

The boat is believed to have set sail from the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco’s Marina district, Crispen said.

“This is an all-hands-on-deck search and hopefully rescue,” San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said. He also offered condolences to the family and friends of the person who died.

Crispen said he did not immediately know the size of the search area. He said tides and winds indicated that anyone in the water would likely move east. Crews were searching areas where survivors would tend to drift, with divers in the water and helicopters overhead.

“Our standard operating procedure is to continue to search, as long as it’s safe enough for us to search,” Crispen said. “This search will go on for some time.”

Video from the scene showed rescue boats, debris floating in the bay and people wrapped in blankets near emergency vehicles on shore. Local police departments and private vessels also joined the response.

Alcatraz Island, about a mile offshore in San Francisco Bay, is the site of the former federal prison that closed in 1963 and is now a national park. Millions of visitors go to the island each year to tour the shuttered prison.