A local boat captain has spoken out about the severity and rarity of the conditions
AT least six people have been confirmed dead and two others missing after a boat capsized during a storm on Lake Tahoe.
A group of 10 people took to the lake in the Sierra Nevada Mountains on Saturday afternoon.
Reports of a capsized vessel and all passengers being in the water near D.L. Bliss State Park were received by the US Coast Guard at around 3pm.
Officials have confirmed that of the 10 passengers on board, six have died, two are being treated in hospital, and another two are missing.
A search for survivors is ongoing and the identities of those dead and missing have not yet been released.
Those who died are all adults, the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.
A seasonal lifeguard and a park ranger who responded to the emergency call were able to get the two survivors onto nearby rocks where they performed CPR, South Tahoe Now reported.
Despite swimming to assist a third person in the water, they were pronounced dead after being pulled onto the Coast Guard boat which took them to an awaiting EMS team on Lester Beach.
The 27-foot vessel is believed to have flipped after storms caused a large swell and eight to 10-foot waves that battered the boat.
Witnesses told the local news outlet that weather conditions abruptly changed on the lake as strong winds “suddenly came from the north, creating eight to ten-foot troughs”.
Experienced boat captain Joby Cefalu said such conditions on the lake are “worse than 30-foot waves on the sea” and that it was an incredibly rare event for the summer.
Footage shared by the news outlet shows the usually-tranquil lake being buffeted by strong winds causing continuous waves to crash into and violently rock the vessels on the water.
After hours of clear blue skies, the sky grew dark and a storm whipped up with even snow reported in the area, until sunny and clear conditions returned just an hour later, per ALERTCalifornia.
CBS News reported 45 mph winds over the lake at the time of the incident.
“It was a very, very tragic day on Lake Tahoe,” Cefalu said.
In response to a statement by the Sheriff’s Office, one local who filmed the violent waves on the lake said “it was crazy”.
“You could have a life vest on and still no make it,” another added.
“Eight foot waves make it hard to spot you and Lake Tahoe is hypothermic year round.”
“At approximately 3 p.m., a response crew from Coast Guard Station Lake Tahoe diverted to assist California State Parks and the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office after receiving a report of 10 people in the water,” the US Coast Guard said in a press release.
“The individuals were aboard a 27-foot gold Chris-Craft vessel that reportedly capsized due to a large swell.
“Weather was reported to be 30 knot winds and 6-8 foot swell.”
“Six people are reported deceased, two people were brought to a local hospital, and the search for two missing people is still ongoing,” it added.
The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the fatalities and injuries just after 10 pm local time and added that the search for those still missing would resume on Sunday morning.
Source: https://www.the-sun.com/news/14535672/boat-capsizes-lake-tahoe-accident-storm-dead-missing/