SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (AP) — The search for the last individual missing from a capsized boat on Lake Tahoe during a sudden weekend thunderstorm concluded Monday, increasing the death toll to eight.
The victim was aboard a 27-foot (8-meter) gold-coated vessel that turned over Saturday afternoon near DL Bliss State Park on the lake’s southwest side, as reported by U.S. Coast Guard officials.
Two passengers were quickly rescued and transported to a hospital in unknown conditions. Six bodies were retrieved on Saturday, and a seventh was located Sunday evening, according to the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office. A diver searched parts of Lake Tahoe and discovered the final body Monday afternoon.
The name of the victim will remain confidential until family members are informed, stated Kyle Parker.
While there have been accidental deaths and incidents involving boat owners in the lake in recent years, multiple fatal boat accidents are uncommon. The South Lake Tahoe Police Department noted that KCRA-TV reported an average of six deaths per summer in 2022 and a record 15 deaths in 2021, although the department could not provide updated statistics immediately.
Meteorologist Matthew Chiba from the National Weather Service office in Reno, Nevada, mentioned that forecasters were caught off guard by the storm’s strength, particularly as it struck the southern part of the lake around 3 PM. Winds reached 35 mph (56 kph), creating waves over 8 feet (2.5 meters).
“We didn’t expect it to be that intense,” Chiba remarked.
He explained that the unusually low temperatures in the area during this period may have contributed to the unstable air mass.
The 8-foot waves on Tahoe are “highly significant,” Chiba added. “They were really agitating the lake.”
Lake Tahoe is a favored summer recreation spot, popular for boating, kayaking, and paddleboarding. The pristine lake, known for its extremely cold waters, spans California and Nevada and ranks as one of the deepest lakes in the U.S., second only to Crater Lake in Oregon.
Authorities have not disclosed details about the group of boats that capsized, nor clarified whether the vessel was rented or owned.
Saturday’s storm subsided within approximately two hours.
Brittany Glick, who was on a rented pontoon boat with seven others celebrating a friend’s bachelorette party, recounted how the wind intensified and the waves swelled on that day. It had started sunny, but temperatures dropped sharply, leading to poor visibility, Glick recalled on Monday.
“It felt like we were caught in a tsunami. I’ve never experienced anything like it,” she described.
The turbulence heightened as the boat traversed increasingly rough waters, soaking its passengers.
“We were shocked to see all the boats capsized,” Glick said. “We were drenched and freezing, shaking uncontrollably. Our feet felt numb and our toes turned blue. It was one of the most terrifying moments I’ve ever encountered. The storm came up so quickly.”
Videos obtained by KCRA-TV displayed moored boats at a nearby marina colliding amid strong winds.
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Rodriguez reported from San Francisco. Associated Press reporters Christopher Weber and Jamie Dinn contributed from Los Angeles.
Source: apnews.com