Boats and aircraft searched San Francisco Bay and nearby ocean waters after 16 people survived the capsizing.
SAN FRANCISCO — Rescue crews searched Wednesday for three people missing after a cabin cruiser carrying a memorial gathering capsized near Alcatraz Island, leaving one man dead and sending three survivors to a hospital.
The 50-foot multilevel vessel was carrying 20 adults when it took on water and overturned Tuesday afternoon in rough conditions between Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge, authorities said. Sixteen people were rescued. The identities of the man who died and the three missing people had not been released.
The search continued through the night and into Wednesday as crews followed currents out of San Francisco Bay and into the open Pacific Ocean west of the Golden Gate Bridge. Boats, helicopters and divers joined the operation, while teams used thermal imaging, tide predictions and computer modeling to determine where the missing passengers might have drifted.
The U.S. Coast Guard took the lead in the search Wednesday, with support from San Francisco fire and police crews and several nearby agencies. Fire Department boats remained on the water Wednesday morning, Lt. Mariano Elias said. Officials had not announced a change in the number of missing people.
The emergency call came shortly after 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, when the vessel was about 600 yards from Alcatraz Island. Early callers reported what appeared to be smoke or fire, but responders later said the visible material was steam. Authorities found no evidence of a fire or explosion.
San Francisco Fire Chief Dean Crispen said the vessel appeared to have been struck by a wave or otherwise taken on water before it capsized. He said the exact sequence remained under investigation. Officials had not determined whether mechanical trouble, the sea conditions or another factor contributed to the sinking.
When rescuers arrived, the boat was nearly submerged, with its motor still running and fuel leaking into the water. Some passengers were already in the bay, while others remained on the vessel. Videos from the area showed rescue boats surrounding the partially submerged cruiser as loose objects floated nearby.
San Francisco police maritime officers were among the first public safety crews at the scene. They found one man in severe distress, transferred him to a rescue boat and began efforts to revive him. He was brought to Gashouse Cove Marina, where he was pronounced dead. A dog aboard the vessel also died.
Three survivors were taken to a hospital with injuries that authorities described as stable and not life-threatening. Officials said most of the injuries appeared to have happened when passengers fell or were thrown from the boat. No burn injuries were reported. Thirteen other survivors were taken to Fort Mason, where city workers and the American Red Cross provided assistance.
The response drew crews from the San Francisco fire and police departments, the Coast Guard, Oakland and Richmond police, Tiburon firefighters and the Southern Marin Fire Protection District. Private boat operators also stopped to help people in the water and aboard the sinking vessel.
Aaron Anfinson, captain of the Bass-Tub, told the San Francisco Chronicle that his boat was carrying guests toward the Golden Gate Bridge when a person on a smaller vessel flagged him down. Anfinson said the water was windy and choppy. When his boat reached the cruiser, passengers were in the water or still aboard, and his crew tried to distribute life jackets.
Alcatraz Island sits about a mile north of San Francisco’s shoreline in an area known for strong currents, wind and cold water. Search teams moved beyond the island as tide and wind patterns carried the operation toward the Golden Gate and the ocean.
Authorities initially reported two people missing but increased the number to three after interviewing witnesses and reviewing the passenger count. Investigators identified the sunken vessel as the Volare, a cabin cruiser documented out of Stockton that had departed from the St. Francis Yacht Club.
The Coast Guard continued directing the search Wednesday as investigators worked to determine why the Volare took on water. Officials had not announced when the search might end or when the vessel could be recovered from the bay.
Author note: Last updated July 15, 2026.