SAN FRANCISCO, July 15 (San Francisco News Online) — San Francisco fire officials said Tuesday that crews pulled multiple people from the water after a pontoon boat capsized near Alcatraz Island, and a search continued for at least one missing person as divers, helicopters and boats swept the bay.
San Francisco Fire Lt. Mariano Elias said the emergency call came in just after 3:30 p.m. One of the rescued people required CPR, he said.
Chief Dean Crispen said crews found a three-deck pontoon vessel carrying 19 people and later determined they had no evidence of a fire, after the incident was first reported that way. Crispen said the vessel was “capsized and mostly under the water.”
Crispen said the person who died had been pulled from the water and died later. He also said one dog on the boat died.
Officials said the boat was believed to have launched near the St. Francis Yacht Club and was about 600 yards from Alcatraz when the emergency call came in. The rescued people were taken to Gashouse Cove Marina, and a family reunification center was set up at Fort Mason.
Mayor Daniel Lurie said, “We are in an active search,” and called it “an all-hands-on-deck search and, hopefully, rescue.”
Crispen said the response included divers, helicopters, 11 vessels, the U.S. Coast Guard and Oakland police, while the Human Services Agency and the Red Cross provided services at the reunification center.
