One dead and three missing after boat sinks near Alcatraz - BBC
A pontoon boat carrying 20 people capsized near Alcatraz Island during a memorial service, resulting in one death and three missing persons. The US Coast Guard has suspended the search, and an investigation into the cause of the incident is ongoing.
Why it matters
This tragic maritime accident highlights the risks associated with private vessel excursions and the challenges of search and rescue operations in the San Francisco Bay.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google Rachel Flynn AFP The US Coast Guard has suspended its search for three missing people after a pontoon boat capsized around 600 yards from Alcatraz Island on Tuesday.
One person is known to have died in the disaster.
"Suspending a search is one of the hardest parts of the job and our condolences are with the families of all involved," said coastguard commander Capt Jarod Toczko in a statement on Wednesday evening, local time.
Toczko highlighted that 20 people had been rescued, and paid tribute to the partner agencies involved. It is not yet know what caused the vessel to capsize, and the cause of the incident remains under investigation.
San Francisco Fire Department chief Dean Crispen earlier said that a report of a vessel in distress had arrived at 15:37 local time on Tuesday (22:37 GMT).
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