A tragic boating accident on Lake Tahoe resulted in six fatalities, with two individuals still unaccounted for, following a severe wind storm on Saturday. The incident occurred around 3 p.m. when a 27-foot Chris-Craft vessel overturned near D.L. Bliss State Park in California due to a large swell, according to the United States Coast Guard.
The Coast Guard confirmed the death of six individuals, while two others were transported to a local hospital. The search for the remaining two missing individuals is ongoing. The accident was witnessed by a lifeguard and a ranger who managed to rescue two people from the water.
Upon the Coast Guard’s arrival at the scene, they spotted another individual in the water. A lifeguard swam out to assist, and both the individual and the lifeguard were pulled onto the Coast Guard boat and taken to Lester Beach. Despite the arrival of emergency medical services at the beach, the individual was pronounced dead.
Witnesses reported that the lake was experiencing large swells, with waves reaching 6 to 8 feet due to the wind storm. Footage obtained from the scene showed boats being tossed about in the turbulent water. According to a local boat captain, Joby Cefalu, the conditions were “worse than 30-foot waves on the sea.”
Cefalu had established a triage at the Tahoe Keys Marina office to assist victims, some of whom were suffering from hypothermia. The lake was experiencing unusually high winds and rough waters when the boat capsized.
Search efforts for the two missing individuals, led by the Coast Guard and the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, resumed on Sunday. The identities of the deceased and missing individuals have not yet been released.