Family in Boat Sinking Has Suffered 'a Lot of Tragedy'

The memorial trip that turned tragic near Alcatraz this week is coming into clearer focus. Federal officials say the 49-foot Volare lost its balance after a wave hit its side Tuesday afternoon, rolling the three-deck boat and sending some of the 20 people aboard into the San Francisco Bay as others were likely disoriented below deck, per the New York Times. The vessel quickly took on water; by the time rescuers arrived around 3:30pm, its two lower levels were submerged. One passenger, 79-year-old Clifford Joseph Boisa of Sutter County, was brought to shore in distress and later died. Three people remain missing and are now presumed dead, per Reuters.

The Volare's owner has been identified as Boisa's younger brother, John Edward Boisa. Those now lost at sea include Clifford and John's sister, Carol; Clifford's wife, Jackie; and a friend, per CBS News. The group had reportedly set out from San Francisco to scatter the ashes of John Boisa's daughter, who died in her 30s more than a decade ago. "We've gone through a lot of tragedy over the years," John tells KFMB, noting that his other daughter died in 1995.

The group stopped at Angel Island before heading through the narrow, current-heavy channel by Alcatraz on Tuesday afternoon. Winds had strengthened, and waves were estimated at around four feet. "All indications are that things happened very quickly," a Coast Guard captain says, per the Times, adding that it's possible the missing passengers were trapped inside the boat, which sank in 130 feet of water and has yet to be found.