The U.S. Coast Guard said it intends to suspend search operations for three missing people in the San Francisco Bay at sunset Wednesday evening.
The Coast Guard has been searching for 23 hours for the missing people who were onboard a cabin cruiser when it capsized Tuesday afternoon on the San Francisco Bay.
During a news conference Wednesday, Jarod Toczko, Deputy Sector Commander for the U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Francisco, said the search has been unsuccessful in locating any survivors within the search area.
Coast Guard crews have searched about 950 square nautical miles with 11 vessels and four aircrafts.
“Suspending an active search is one of the most difficult things we do as coast guard commanders. I don’t take that responsibility lightly at all,” Toczko said. “Our goal is always to bring home families’ loved ones and we understand that families want answers and that is never lost on us.”
He said the families of those missing have been notified.
“Our crews will continue to diligently search until we reach that point later this evening,” Toczko said.
Family and friends had gathered on the boat, which departed from St. Francis Yacht Club, for a memorial service. The boat, based in Stockton, had left the yacht club to Angel Island before the emergency happened, authorities said.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said he did not have answers about who the person was that was being honored or the relationship that person had to the passengers on the boat.
A good Samaritan fisherman who helped pull people out of the water said he believed passengers were inside the vessel and were not able to get out on time.
“Certainly, that’s a possibility,” Toczko said. “I’d be speculating whether or not that was the case.”
Toczko said that the 50-foot cabin cruiser Volare had three different levels. The main and lower deck were both enclosed leaving a high possibility of people being trapped inside the vessel.
He said the answer would come out later in an investigation.
San Francisco Fire Chief Dean Crispen confirmed that one man died. He was identified as Clifford Joseph Boisa, 79, of Sutter County. A police dog also died.
Lurie expressed his condolences to the family and friends of those on the vessel and the family of the three missing.
“These are the moments you do not want to come down as mayor and see a loss of life, but I am also incredibly proud of the all hands-on-deck effort by multiple agencies throughout this region,” Lurie said.
He added, “My heart goes out to the families of the victims.”
Three people were injured and taken to a hospital. Crispen said the pilot of the boat was one of the people taken to a hospital. They have since been released.
Thirteen people on the boat were uninjured and are now home, Crispen added.
Record reporter Victoria Franco covers public safety in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at vfranco@gannett.com. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
This article originally appeared on The Record: U.S. Coast Guard to suspend search of 3 missing in San Francisco Bay
Reporting by Victoria Franco, The Stockton Record / The Record
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By Victoria Franco, The Stockton Record | USA TODAY Network
