Memorial trip tragedy: Boat sinks near Alcatraz, search for survivors ends at sunset 3%
By Michael McLaughlin7% Kevin Truong7% George Kelly17% Jennifer Wadsworth13%
7/15/2026, 6:51:41 PM
BS Summary: This article contains 12 faulty reasoning types, including Hindsight Bias, Confirmation Bias, and Appeal to Authority, with Hasty Generalization as the most egregious example at 9% saturation with 81 hits. Analysis detected 417 faulty-reasoning hits from 900 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 15.7% and a BS Rank of 3% (15,793 of 16,248 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 97.20% of the article peer group.
The 49-foot cabin cruiser Volare was carrying 20 people — a family that had taken it out for a memorial service on the water Tuesday afternoon — when it was struck by a wave roughly 600 yards off Alcatraz.
Within minutes, it had tipped on its side before taking water and sinking.
A 79-year-old man, a woman, and a dog are dead; two people remained missing as of Wednesday afternoon.
The rescue effort led by the Coast Guard will continue until sunset Wednesday.
After that, it will become a San Francisco Police Department recovery mission, officials said at a press conference.
“Despite the extensive search effort we have been unable to locate any survivors,” said Coast Guard commander Jarod Toczko.
Crews have covered 950 square nautical miles and searched more than 1,700 miles of track line using 11 surface assets and four aircraft since the initial distress call came in.
The recovered victim was Clifford Boisa of Sutter County, the San Francisco medical examiner said Wednesday.
His brother John Boisa owns the Volare, according to reports.
Asked whether a criminal investigation was underway, Toczko said the matter remains under investigation and referred further questions to the San Francisco Police Department, which he said will lead that inquiry.
Private boats took part in the search and rescue effort Tuesday.
Tony Wan was on a boat tour of the bay with colleagues when the captain of their vessel circled the emergency area for approximately 30 minutes, looking for survivors.
When he first saw the sinking boat, there were one or two people hanging onto it, Wan said.
He saw several people pulled from the water onto other vessels.
“We were just hoping for the best for everyone,” Wan said.
Photos of the boat prior its complete submersion show it tipped to its side.
None of the passengers waving down rescue vessels were wearing life vests.
Wan saw several stray floatation devices in the bay, along with other debris from the sinking boat.
He said the conditions at times were rough.
“There were some parts where it got kind of choppy,” he told The Standard.
Officials said the Volare had departed from St.
Francis Yacht Club en route to Angel Island when the emergency occurred after departure.
Winds near the Golden Gate Bridge were blowing about 17 mph from the southeast at the time of the incident, according to the National Weather Service.
Low tide was approaching, and waves in certain spots were about 3 feet, the NWS said.
Waves of that size are typically not hazardous, but videos of the area where the boat capsized show rough waters.
Capt.
Rod Mayer, who has operated sailing boat charters in the area for more than a decade, said those conditions could lead to a capsizing if the crew wasn’t vigilant about the weight distribution of passengers.
If, for example, passengers were crowded on the top level, it could have been dangerous for the stability of the boat.
“Winds were around 30 mph,” Mayer said.
“Waves up to 3 feet and really roll-y.
For a power boat like that, you’re just corking around.”
Mayer said he and his colleagues regularly monitor emergency channels and did not hear a distress call made from the vessel.
This implies that the Volare tipped over and sank quickly, before the crew could access radios to call for help.
“The physics of instability are really unforgiving,” said Kirk Miller, a charter boat captain.
Compounding the risks is the cold water in the bay, which can lead to shock and difficulty staying afloat.
“If you’re submerged in the cold water of the San Francisco Bay without a life jacket, it is an immediate life-or-death situation.”
The location where the boat was found is commonly used for ash-scattering services, according to charter boat employees.
Conditions were less than optimal Tuesday, according to a licensed captain who operates ash-scattering trips on San Francisco Bay.
That captain, who spoke to The Standard on Wednesday morning, said Volare should not have been on the water under the conditions reported at the time, calling it “a stupid, stupid move.”
He added that his own six-passenger charter vessel — operated under a “six-pack” license issued by the U.S.
Coast Guard — is built to handle rougher conditions, but he cancels trips when winds pick up or visibility drops.
He said all passengers and crew are required to wear life jackets before departure, without exception, and was troubled by speculation that those aboard the capsized vessel were not.
“That’s just a mandatory thing,” he said.
“The first thing they do on the boat: OK, everybody put on your life jacket.”
The captain also raised questions about whether the operators of Tuesday’s trip had obtained the required county permit for scattering ashes on the water and whether a licensed captain was at the helm if passengers were charged for the trip — both of which he said are legal requirements.
He said he was out on the bay around 11 a.m.
Tuesday for a charter and noticed conditions worsening by early afternoon, with wind and light whitecaps developing as his boat returned to dock around 1:30 p.m.
He added that conditions on the bay typically intensify as the day progresses, particularly near Alcatraz Island, where wind and currents are often stronger due to a funneling effect.
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