One person is dead, two people remain missing and 16 others were rescued Tuesday after a pontoon boat capsized near Alcatraz Island off the coast of San Francisco, authorities said.
San Francisco Fire Chief Dean Crispin said during a news conference that 19 people were aboard the vessel. Thirteen survivors made it safely to shore, while three others were transported to a hospital.
One of the people pulled from the water received CPR and was later pronounced dead, Crispin said.
Crispin described the vessel as a three-deck pontoon boat that was roughly 600 yards from Alcatraz Island when the boat capsized.
Crispin said the San Francisco Fire Department initially responded to a report of a vessel fire around 3:35 p.m., but crews instead found a capsized boat. He later said there was no evidence of a fire.
Authorities, including the U.S. Coast Guard, have 11 vessels, divers and helicopters searching for the two missing people, Crispin said.
“It’s a very active scene,” he said, adding that the search would likely continue into the evening.
Crispin described the boat as a recreational vessel.
The San Francisco Police Department’s marine unit found the vessel capsized and mostly submerged, with fuel leaking into the water and the engine still running, Crispin said. One person was found in the water, while the remaining occupants were found inside the top compartment of the vessel and were rescued.
This is a developing story; check back for updates.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
