The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office says that all eight people who died when a boat on Lake Tahoe capsized during a storm have been found and named.
There were 10 people in the 27-foot gold Chris-Craft boat when it capsized near D.L. Bliss State Park on the southwest shore of the lake on Saturday afternoon.
The US Coast Guard says the ship flipped over because of a quick storm that brought 8-foot waves and strong winds to the area. It rained for about two hours.
The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office Hasty Team wrote on Facebook, “Last Saturday, a sudden and destructive storm blew over Lake Tahoe, causing chaos and a lot of property damage.” Unfortunately, it also killed several people when an 8-foot wave and strong winds flipped over a boat with 10 people on board, throwing them all into the water.
The emergency workers saved two of the people who were wearing personal flotation devices and took them to the hospital.
The other eight drowned. Six were found on the water near the capsized boat and were brought back on Saturday.
When the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office asked the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office to help find the last two victims, they did so on Sunday.
The look and Rescue Hasty Team from Washoe County, the Specialized Vehicle Unit on Marine 10, and the crew of Marine 9 used the team’s Outland 1000 Remotely Operated Vehicle to look underwater.
The ROV has several cameras, lights, radar, and an articulated claw, and it can go down to depths of up to 2,000 feet.
The post says that by late Sunday afternoon, one body had been found and retrieved at a depth of just over 300 feet. The last body was found at the same depth on Monday afternoon.
The victims were identified as:
- Paula Bozinovich, 71, of Redwood City, California
- Terry Pickles, 73, of Redwood City, California
- Joshua Antony Pickles, 37, of San Francisco
- Peter Bayes, 72, of Lincoln, California
- Timothy O’Leary, 71, of Auburn
- Theresa Giullari, 66, of Honeoye, New York
- James Guck, 69, of Honeoye, New York
- Stephen Lindsay, 63, of Springwater, New York
Four of the people who died were from the same family in Northern California. Some of the people who died were Joshua Pickles, his parents Terry Pickles and Paula Bozinovich, and his uncle Peter Bayes.
In a statement, Joshua Pickles’s widow, Jordan Sugar-Carlsgaard, said, “No words can express the pain and anguish we feel knowing their lives were lost during what was supposed to be a joyful time on the lake.” “Our hearts go out to the two people who made it through this deadly storm on Lake Tahoe and to the people who lost loved ones.”
Joshua Pickles was in charge of strategy sourcing and procurement for DoorDash around the world.
Ravi Inukonda, chief financial officer of DoorDash, said in a statement, “We are heartbroken by the tragic accident that took the life of our beloved colleague Josh Pickles.” Josh cared about his team and was an inspiration to everyone who knew him. He had a positive attitude that made everyone around him better during his almost seven years at DoorDash. Josh’s death is too great to measure. We will always remember him and miss him very much. His wife, daughter, family, and everyone else who was close to him are in our thoughts and prayers. We are doing everything we can to help them get through this very hard time.
The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office sent its condolences and thanks to everyone who helped with the rescue.
“The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office sends its deepest condolences to the families of those who died and to everyone else who was affected by this terrible event.”
The police haven’t said if the boat was rented or owned by someone else. The two survivors’ conditions have not been made public.
The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District were among the groups that helped with the search and rescue.
“This is an unimaginable tragedy for the family and friends of the people involved,” the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office wrote. “The thoughts and prayers of everyone at the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office are with them.”
