Shoreworkers and fishermen rescue people from capsized boat
Shoreworkers and fishermen share their experiences rescuing people from sunken boats near Alcatraz Island in San Francisco on July 14, 2026.
Three people remain missing after a boat carrying 20 people capsized in San Francisco Bay near Alcatraz Island on July 15, and the U.S. Coast Guard said they may have become trapped on board as search teams prepared to halt active rescue efforts.
Despite a massive search effort, authorities were unable to find any additional survivors, San Francisco Coast Guard Commander Jarrod Toshko said. Search teams have covered about 950 square nautical miles since the ship capsized on July 14, Totsuko said.
“Looking back at the extensive search operations we have undertaken to date, and taking into account everything we have done so far and all the environmental conditions, and considering the probability of finding survivors within the search area, we intend to cease active search operations at sunset tonight,” Totsuko said at a press conference on July 15.
The update came hours after San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said in a video posted to X that the Coast Guard and San Francisco Fire Department continue to search for the three missing people.
According to Fire Chief Crispen, the San Francisco Fire Department received a call at approximately 3:37 p.m. local time on July 14 about a ship in distress or on fire approximately 600 yards off the coast of Alcatraz Island. Crispen said the San Francisco Police Department’s Marine Unit was first on the scene and pulled the man from the water, who was in “severe distress.” He was later confirmed dead.
Officials revised the number of people on board from 19 to 20. Thirteen people were rescued and returned home, while three others were taken to a local hospital and later released, Crispen said.
Victims identified in San Francisco Bay boat accident
The San Francisco Chief Medical Examiner’s Office announced on July 15 that the man who died in the incident has been identified as Clifford Joseph Boisa, 79, from rural Sutter County in the Sacramento Valley.
Boisa is a former reserve deputy with the Sutter County Sheriff’s Office. According to the sheriff’s office, he worked for the department from 1987 to 2001.
“The Sutter County Sheriff’s Office is saddened to learn of the passing of retired Reserve Deputy Clifford Boisa…his years of dedicated service and commitment to public safety will not be forgotten,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
Coast Guard: There may be missing people in the sunken ship
At a July 15 press conference, Totsuko said the three missing people may still be inside the wreck.
“There is a high possibility that people were trapped on board,” he said, adding that both the main and lower decks of the three-story boat were sealed.
“We have survivor reports and we know there are people who may have been on the main deck and below deck,” Totsuko said.
Commercial fisherman Mike Montoya, 38, said he was one of the first to arrive on the scene. “There were people below the waterline on board the ship, where the windows were covered with water, and we could see them banging on the windows, obviously trying to break them,” he said.
Authorities know where the boat sank, but have not yet determined its exact location on the bay floor. Totsuko said the vessel is believed to be anchored in about 130 feet of water, a depth that poses a significant challenge for diving operations.
Most of San Francisco Bay is less than 30 feet deep, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers San Francisco District.
Boat carrying 20 people as part of memorial service
The vessel, a 49-foot cabin cruiser registered in Stockton, California, left the St. Francis Yacht Club before encountering rough seas in San Francisco Bay, authorities said. Witnesses reported rough seas and boats either being hit by waves or submerged in water before capsizing.
“Most of the people on this ship were members of each other’s families,” Crispen said.
Authorities previously said 20 people were on the ship for the memorial service. A dog on the boat was also confirmed dead, the San Francisco Fire Department said in a news release.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said he did not have an answer as to who would be honored or their relationship to the boat’s passengers.
Officials said the search operation continued into the night of July 14, with crews using thermal imaging technology, tidal predictions and modeling to guide rescue efforts.
Alcatraz Island is open for tours, and the National Park Service told the USA TODAY Network that the ship was “not within the jurisdiction of the National Park Service and had no impact on operations.”
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
Contributed by: Reuters
Paris Barraza is a reporter covering Los Angeles and Southern California for the USA TODAY Network. please contact her pbarraza@usatodayco.com.
