Coast Guard Suspends Search For 3 Missing In Capsized Boat; Dead Individual Identified

The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended a search and rescue mission three days after a boat capsized in San Francisco, leaving one person dead and another three missing.

One day later, after a collaboration with the San Francisco Fire Department and Oakland Police Department, the Coast Guard stopped the search.

“Suspending a search is one of the hardest parts of the job and our condolences are with the families of all involved,” said Coast Guard Cmdr. Captain Jarod Toczko in a statement on Wednesday evening. He thanked partner organizations for their participation in the rescue effort.

The capsized boat was understood to be made up of a family attending a memorial service.

“This was mostly family members of one another who were on this vessel,” Coast Guard Chief Dean Crispen said in a statement on Tuesday evening. “Our understanding was there was some kind of memorial service that they were engaging in. That’s why they were using this particular vessel.

“They were hit by a wave or took on water, and the boat capsized.”

Authorities initially said that the boat was a privately-owned cabin cruiser motorboat from Stockton, Calif. It was discovered roughly 600 yards from Alcatraz, though it is unclear whether that was the intended destination.

Victim Identified

The man who died was identified as 79-year-old Clifford Joseph Boisa, from Sutter County, Calif., according to the BBC, citing the San Francisco medical examiner’s office.

Crispen said on Tuesday that the fire department’s marine unit tried to treat him, though he died at the scene.

“They placed him on their boat, initiated CPR, brought him into Gas House Cove right here, and this individual was declared deceased at that point,” he said.

Ralph Boisa, Clifford Joseph Boisa’s brother, told the Associated Press that his family and friends were on his younger brother’s boat to celebrate the life of his daughter who died over a decade ago.

Ralph, who was not on the boat, said, “We’ve gone through a lot of tragedy over the years.”

Longshoreman Justin Marceline, who helped rescue people, told Reuters after the incident that there was “complete chaos” at the scene.

“Every time we had to grab a person, each one of them—either they were exhausted, or they were frantic and were flailing,” Marceline said.

The Coast Guard used 11 vessels in addition to helicopters and divers to look for the missing individuals, who authorities said were all adults. They did not disclose whether they were men or women.

Authorities still do not know what caused the vessel to capsize. They continue to investigate the incident.