Six people were killed and two have gone missing after a boat capsized on Lake Tahoe on Saturday.
A 27-foot Chris Craft boat capsized seemingly due to a large swell in the vessel at around 3 pm, according to the Coast Guard.
The boat was near DL Bliss State Park on the California side of Lake Tahoe.
Emergency services responded and reported six dead, two missing, and transported two other survivors to a local hospital.
California State Parks and the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office were also responding agencies to the rescue.
The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office said they responded to the tragedy after reports that 10 individuals were in the water battling wave heights up to eight feet.
The sheriff’s office and dive team are returning to the water Sunday morning to continue search operations for the two missing individuals.
The identities of the individuals haven’t yet been revealed. EDCSO said more information would be made available once next-of-kin is notified.
Authorities reported ten people on the boat, six who died, two who are missing, and two who survived
The Coast Guard said the boat capsized around 3 pm on Saturday reportedly due to a large swell
Authorities responded to the scene and pulled two of the victims onto nearby rocks to perform CPR, local news outlet South Tahoe Now reported.
A lifeguard assisted in pulling a third person from the water and onto a Coast Guard boat, but the victim was later pronounced dead.
Witnesses told South Tahoe Now that they saw helicopters circling the beach as late as 9 pm searching for those lost in the lake.
The boat capsized amid intense weather in the area, resulting in rough waters and strong winds.
Joby Cefalu, a boat captain in the area told South Tahoe Now that he helped set up a center at a nearby marina to help hypothermia victims.
‘It was a very, very tragic day on Lake Tahoe,’ he told the outlet.
Cefalu added that he’s boated on the lake for decades and had never seen the conditions as bad as it was on Saturday.
Extreme weather conditions ravaged the lake, with the National Weather Service reporting a sharp drop in temperature from 54 to 37 degrees between 2:15 and 4:15 pm.
Winds were reported as high as 45 mph over the middle of the lake.
Conor Bugbee told the Sacramento Bee that the storm began around 3 pm and left a trace of snow.
Bugbee helped several people off a boat during the storm, telling the publication, ‘Gale‑force winds and choppy waves pushed them together, causing noticeable damage.’
‘The situation escalated within minutes, catching many of us off guard.’
This is a breaking news story.
