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Boat Capsizes Near Alcatraz; One Dead and Three Missing

Search operations were suspended after an extensive Coast Guard sweep with authorities shifting to a formal marine casualty investigation

Overview

  • A 49–50-foot, three-deck cabin cruiser named Volare capsized about 600 yards off Alcatraz on Tuesday, producing one confirmed fatality and leaving three people unaccounted for.
  • Rescuers pulled roughly 16 people from the water, three survivors were treated at hospitals and later released, and a dog on board also died.
  • First responders initially reported smoke but found no evidence of fire, concluding witnesses likely saw steam from the warm engine when the vessel hit the water.
  • The U.S. Coast Guard suspended active search operations after sweeping about 950 square nautical miles and 54 combined hours of effort and has begun a marine casualty investigation.
  • The incident happened during rough, cold, current-swept conditions while mostly family members were holding a memorial service on the boat, which raises acute hypothermia and entrapment risks and will shape investigators' focus.