Six dead, two missing after boat capsizes at Lake Tahoe

Boats piled up on the shore at Lake Tahoe’s Camp Richardson after a surprise squall Saturday. Photo used with permission from John Cervetto.
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UPDATE: The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed six fatalities and two people missing after a boat capsized Saturday afternoon on Lake Tahoe.

As of 10:10 p.m., EDSO has confirmed six fatalities, two people were transported to the hospital, and two are still missing. The EDSO Dive Team and Search and Rescue will return to the area of D.L. Bliss State Park on Sunday morning to continue search operations. 

An EDSO spokesperson said that just before 5 p.m. Saturday, they received multiple reports of a capsized boat in South Lake Tahoe, near D.L. Bliss State Park. Callers indicated that approximately 10 individuals were in the water near the vessel, with reported wave heights reaching eight feet. EDSO, in coordination with local emergency response partners, immediately responded to the area.

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At least one person died and several others are feared dead after multiple boats and watercraft capsized Saturday at Lake Tahoe.

What we know at this time is that multiple Lake Tahoe fire and rescue agencies, including Carson City Fire Department, responded Saturday afternoon to several reports of boats in distress, with many of them overturned or taking on water following a storm related squall-event on Lake Tahoe.

As of 8:15 p.m., one fatality can be confirmed by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). There are still emergency personnel on the lake, and the situation is unfolding. CBS News is reporting six fatalities and two people missing.

So far, it can be confirmed that the USCG and California State Parks responded to D.L. Bliss State Park after a seasonal lifeguard and ranger saw people in the water. They were able to get two onto the nearby rocks and start performing CPR.

As the Coast Guard arrived, they saw another person in the water, and the lifeguard swam to assist. The person in the water and the lifeguard were pulled onto the Coast Guard boat and transported to Lester Beach. EMS arrived at the beach, but the person in the water was pronounced deceased, said the USCG.

This is a developing story, and the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office (EDSO) and its Search and Rescue team are still at the scene.

The EDSO helicopter was circling the beach, reportedly searching for people still missing in the lake, and as of 9 p.m., a USCG airplane is in the area.

Witnesses on the lake said around 3 p.m., the wind suddenly came from the north, creating eight to ten-foot troughs.

Boat Captain Joby Cefalu said that size is worse than 30-foot waves on the sea. He helped set up a triage at the Tahoe Keys Marina office to help with hypothermia, and said the Tahoe Keys staff was working hard to get people to safety. He’s been on the lake for a few decades and had never seen it as bad as it was on Saturday. North winds like this aren’t normally seen in the summer.

“It was a very, very tragic day on Lake Tahoe,” said Cefalu.

This story will be updated as information becomes available. For updates also see SouthTahoeNow.com.

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