Three people had been identified as missing after a boat capsized near Alcatraz Tuesday.
A boat carrying 20 passengers sank near Alcatraz Island on Tuesday July 14, leaving one person dead and three missing. Coast Guard Captain Jarod Toczko said officers had covered a 950 square nautical mile area, with no success, during their 29-hour search. (Courtesy of James Kim)
San Francisco police recovered a body from the water west of Treasure Island Thursday afternoon in the search and recovery effort for three missing passengers who were aboard a boat that capsized near Alcatraz Tuesday afternoon. Two people remained unaccounted for as of late Thursday.
The San Francisco Police Department said in a news release that officers assigned to a marine unit were conducting sonar scanning around 1 p.m. when a passing vessel alerted them to the body.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner identified the person as 58-year-old Tondra Miller, sometimes known as Tondra Madruga, on Thursday evening. Miller lived in Sacramento County.
SFPD Marine Unit divers have been coordinating with the U.S. Coast Guard to locate the vessel, which is estimated to be at least 120 feet below sea level on a rocky seabed, according to the agency.
SFPD took over the recovery operation after the Coast Guard suspended its search for the missing people, all family and close friends who had embarked on a trip on the San Francisco Bay for a memorial, at sunset Wednesday night.
Coast Guard Capt. Jarod Toczko said officers had covered a 950 square nautical mile area, with no success, during their 29-hour search.
“Suspending an active search is one of the most difficult things we do as Coast Guard commanders,” Toczko told reporters on Wednesday afternoon. “I don’t take that responsibility lightly at all. Our goal is always to bring home families, loved ones, and we understand that families want answers. And that is never lost on us.”
First responders rescued Clifford Boisa, 79, in “severe distress” and initiated CPR, but after transporting him to Gas House Cove in the Marina District, he was pronounced dead. Ralph and Clifford’s sister, Carol, Jackie and a third woman, who has not been identified, are still missing. Sixteen other passengers were rescued, in part thanks to civilian fishing boats and a kiteboarder.
SFPD officials say once the vessel is located, the department will work with the Coast Guard and other partners to determine recovery options.
On Wednesday, SFPD Commander Brien Hoo said that since the vessel is believed to be at a depth of at least 120 feet, they would work with private companies specializing in diving recovery if pulling the boat out is feasible.
Ella Jackson contributed reporting.
