Last body found after boat capsizes on Lake Tahoe in sudden storm, bringing death toll to 8
Share and Follow


SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (AP) — The body of the last person missing from a boat that capsized on Lake Tahoe in California during a sudden and powerful weekend thunderstorm was found Monday, bringing the death toll to eight.

Ten people were on board the 27-foot (8-meter) gold Chris-Craft vessel when it flipped Saturday afternoon near D.L. Bliss State Park on the lake’s southwest edge as the storm whipped up high waves, U.S. Coast Guard officials said.

Two people were rescued immediately and taken to a hospital in unknown condition. Six bodies were recovered later Saturday and a seventh body was found Sunday evening, according to the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office. Divers searched a section of Lake Tahoe and found the last body Monday afternoon.

The names of the victims won’t be released until family members are notified, Sgt. Kyle Parker said.

Drowning and other accidental deaths have occurred in recent years on the lake, but boating accidents with numerous fatalities are rare. The South Lake Tahoe Police Department told KCRA-TV in 2022 there are an average of six deaths on the lake each summer, though there were a record 15 fatalities in 2021. The department couldn’t immediately provide updated numbers.

The intensity of the thunderstorm surprised even forecasters, who had predicted some rain but nothing like the squall that lashed the southern part of the lake around 3 p.m., said meteorologist Matthew Chyba with the National Weather Service office in Reno, Nevada. Winds topped 35 mph (56 kph) and waves swelled up more than 8 feet (2.5 meters).

“We weren’t expecting it to be so strong,” Chyba said.

He said temperatures in the area were far below normal for this time of year, which could have contributed to the unstable air mass.

Eight-foot waves on Tahoe is “pretty significant,” Chyba said. “They were really rocking the lake.”

Lake Tahoe is a popular summer recreation destination for boaters, kayakers and paddleboarders. The pristine lake with very cold water straddles California and Nevada and is one of the deepest in the country, second only to Oregon’s Crater Lake.

Officials haven’t shared any details about the group on the boat that capsized, or said whether the vessel was rented or owned.

Saturday’s storm cleared out within about two hours.

Brittany Glick was on a rented pontoon boat with seven others celebrating a friend’s bachelorette party Saturday when the wind began picking up and the waves started getting bigger. The day had started sunny but suddenly the temperature dropped and there was almost no visibility, Glick said Monday.

“It felt like we were in a tsunami that was starting. I have never experienced anything like that,” she said.

As the boat returned to the dock after about an hour of navigating increasingly choppy waters, soaking the passengers, it started to hail.

“We were shaken up seeing all the boats flipped,” Glick said. “And being drenched in that water, we were so cold. We were shaking uncontrollably. Our feet were numb, and our toes were turning blue. That was probably one of the scariest moments I’ve had in my 30 years. The storm came in so quick. It was terrifying.”

Video obtained by KCRA-TV showed moored boats at a nearby marina crashing into one another amid strong gusts.

___

Rodriguez reported from San Francisco. Associated Press reporters Christopher Weber and Jaimie Ding contributed from Los Angeles.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like

Central Florida’s Weather Rollercoaster: Brace for Record Heat Followed by Icy Cold Front

ORLANDO, Fla. – The mercury soared today, delivering temperatures that felt more…

Ye Issues Apology for Antisemitic Remarks, Attributes Comments to Past Brain Injury

In a recent development, the artist now known as Ye, originally Kanye…

Breaking Barriers: The Decade-Long Struggle of 3,000 Black Creatives in Italy’s Fashion Industry

MILAN – On the eve of a rising Ghanaian designer’s debut on…

Prepare for a Chilly Week: StormTeam 3 Predicts Clearing Skies and Cold Sunshine Ahead

SAVANNAH, Ga – Good morning! This is Stormteam 3 Meteorologist Alysa Carsley,…

Southwest Virginia Power Outage: Icy Weather Plunges Thousands into Darkness

ABINGDON, Va. (WJHL) — On Sunday night, over 15,000 homes and businesses…

Asian Markets Slip Amid Yen’s Strength Against U.S. Dollar

In Tokyo, Asian stock markets largely faced declines on Monday, with Japan’s…

Unlocking the Mystery of ‘Trump Accounts’: 6 Key Insights You Need to Know

(NEXSTAR) – Parents can soon look forward to the introduction of “Trump…

Heroic Firefighters Save Feline Lives in Early Morning Arthur Blaze

ARTHUR, Ill. (WCIA) — In a dramatic rescue on Sunday morning, firefighters…