Sixteen people survived as boats, divers and helicopters searched San Francisco Bay following the Tuesday afternoon capsizing.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — One person died and three others remained missing after a crowded pleasure boat capsized and sank near Alcatraz Island, prompting an urgent rescue operation involving helicopters, divers and 11 vessels, San Francisco fire officials said.
Authorities said 16 people survived the Tuesday afternoon disaster in San Francisco Bay. Three injured survivors were taken to a hospital, where officials said they were in stable condition Tuesday evening. Thirteen others were taken to an assistance center at Fort Mason, where city workers and the American Red Cross helped passengers and their families.
Early reports said 19 people had been aboard and two were missing. San Francisco Fire Chief Dean Crispen later revised the count during an evening briefing, saying the boat carried 20 people and three adults remained unaccounted for. The identities of the person who died and those missing had not been released.
The emergency call came shortly after 3:30 p.m. The three-level, approximately 50-foot vessel was about 600 yards from Alcatraz when it encountered rough water, took on water and overturned, according to fire officials. The boat was nearly submerged when rescuers arrived, with its motor still running and fuel leaking into the bay.
Initial emergency reports described a possible fire aboard the vessel. Some witnesses also reported seeing what appeared to be flames. Fire officials later said they found no evidence of a fire, and no survivors were treated for burns. The cause of the capsizing remained under investigation.
The passenger who died was pulled from the water alive and taken to Gashouse Cove Marina but could not be saved, Crispen said. Several survivors were injured after falling or being thrown from the boat. A dog that had been aboard also died. Officials said they were not aware of any children on the vessel.
A nearby sportfishing boat and other private vessels joined the rescue before or alongside public emergency crews. Aaron Anfinson, captain of the Bass-Tub, told the San Francisco Chronicle that another boater directed his crew toward the sinking vessel. Some passengers were already in the water, while others remained aboard as the boat went down.
Anfinson said his crew handed out life jackets and first helped a woman who had suffered a head injury. A deckhand lowered a ladder and used a life ring to bring her onto the fishing boat. Several people in the water were also holding onto a kite surfer who had reached the scene, he said.
San Francisco police and fire crews, Oakland police and the U.S. Coast Guard took part in the response. Officials used rescue boats, aircraft and divers as they searched the bay and waters beyond the Golden Gate Bridge. Winds and tides could have carried people away from the sinking site, expanding the area crews needed to cover.
The vessel was believed to have departed from an area near the St. Francis Yacht Club. Crispen said many of those aboard were relatives or knew one another and had gathered for a memorial. Officials had not publicly identified the boat’s owner or determined whether everyone aboard had access to or was wearing a life jacket.
Alcatraz Island sits about a mile from San Francisco’s shoreline in a part of the bay known for cold water, strong currents and quickly changing conditions. The former federal prison is now a major tourist destination, and the surrounding waters are regularly used by ferries and recreational boats.
Search crews planned to continue working as conditions allowed. The Coast Guard was expected to investigate the sinking, while authorities worked to confirm the passenger count, locate the missing adults and determine why the vessel overturned.
Author note: Last updated July 15, 2026.