One person has died and two others are missing after a boat with 19 people on board sank in San Francisco Bay, local authorities said. Emergency services were called to the scene at around 15:35 p.m. local time about a boat on fire about 550 meters from Alcatraz Island. When rescuers arrived at the scene, they found the boat upside down with the engine still running, according to San Francisco Fire Department Chief Dean Crispen.
Footage from the scene showed rescue boats helping passengers out of the water. “One passenger was pulled out alive, but later died, and a dog was also killed. Two other people are still missing,” Crispen said. The search and rescue operation continued into Tuesday evening, involving divers, helicopters and 11 ships. Authorities are continuing the search for the two missing people.
Some of the passengers suffered injuries after falling into the water, but firefighters said their injuries were not serious. All survivors were transported to Gashouse Cove Marina, a small boat harbor in San Francisco, while three injured people were taken to the hospital.
Bass-Tub captain Aaron Anfinson, who was near the area, told the San Francisco Chronicle that he was sailing toward the Golden Gate Bridge when a person asked him to stop and pointed to a boat in the middle of the bay that appeared to be on fire. According to him, by the time they arrived at the scene, the flames had died down and the boat had begun to sink.
"We saw a lot of people in the water and we were throwing life jackets to them to keep them afloat," Anfinson said. He said one woman had suffered a head injury and that the situation was extremely serious. "It was terrifying. I never want to see anyone in that situation again," the captain said.
Authorities have not yet said whether the boat was headed toward Alcatraz Island, was leaving it or was in the area for another reason. San Francisco Bay is known for its cold waters even during the summer months, making it difficult for people who fall into the water for long periods to survive.
