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(KTXL) — The eight victims who died after a 27-foot boat capsized on Lake Tahoe over the weekend have been identified, according to the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office.
The deadly incident happened Saturday afternoon amid strong winds, with wave heights reaching eight feet, according to Nexstar’s KTXL.
The sheriff’s office confirms the victims to be:
- 71-year-old Paula Bozinovich of Redwood City, CA
- 73-year-old Terry Pickles of from Redwood City, CA
- 37-year-old Joshua Antony Pickles of San Francisco
- 72-year-old Peter Bayes of Lincoln, CA
- 71-year-old Timothy O’Leary from Auburn, CA
- 66-year-old Theresa Giullari of Honeoye, NY
- 69-year-old James Guck of Honeoye, NY
- 63-year-old Stephen Lindsay of Springwater, NY
Minutes after the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office (EDCSO) identified the victims, the widow of 37-year-old Joshua Pickles released a statement thanking several law enforcement agencies that aided in the recovery of the victims, while also reflecting on the sudden loss of Pickles.
“We lost my loving husband Josh Pickles, his parents Terry Pickles and Paula Bozinovich, and Uncle Peter Bayes, as well as friends in this tragedy,” an emailed statement said. “No words can express the pain and anguish we feel knowing their lives were lost during what was meant to be a joyful time on the lake. Our hearts go out to those who tragically lost their lives and the two survivors of this unexpected and deadly storm on Lake Tahoe.”
EDCSO said deputies responded to reports of an overturned boat containing 10 people on South Lake Tahoe around 3 p.m. on June 21, near D.L. Bliss State Park.
Emergency crews arrived to find six people dead and two people missing. Two others were rescued, deputies confirmed, but their conditions weren’t known Tuesday.
The body of one of the missing people was recovered on Sunday evening, while the body of the last missing person was found around 2:40 p.m. on Monday.
“The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office extends its deepest heartfelt condolences to the families of those who were lost and all those who have been affected by this tragic event,” sheriff’s officials wrote in a Facebook post.
The intensity of the thunderstorm surprised even forecasters, who had predicted 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 Monday. He said temperatures in the area were far below normal for this time of year, which could have contributed to the unstable air mass.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
