Authorities have located the wreckage of the 49-foot yacht Volare in San Francisco Bay, following a capsizing incident Tuesday that left two people dead and two others missing. The vessel, which was carrying 20 passengers on a memorial cruise, sank near Alcatraz Island after reportedly losing stability in high waves.
Recovery Efforts at the Alcatraz Wreckage Site
The San Francisco Police Department’s Marine Unit confirmed on Friday that they had located the wreckage of the 49-foot cabin cruiser using boat-mounted sonar. The vessel is currently resting approximately 120 feet below the surface of the San Francisco Bay.
Following the discovery, officials transitioned to using a remotely operated vehicle to assess the site. The Marine Unit is now coordinating with partner agencies to determine if a recovery operation is feasible.
The Timeline of the Memorial Cruise
The Volare, owned by political consultant John Boisa and registered out of Stockton, departed West Harbor at approximately 10 a.m. Tuesday. The group of 20 passengers and a dog were on the water to scatter the ashes of a family member who had passed away over a decade ago.
While early reports suggested the boat may have caught fire, investigators have since clarified that the visible smoke was actually steam venting from the engine compartment as the boat took on water. The Coast Guard reported that there was no evidence of a fire. Instead, the vessel appears to have lost stability after being struck by a wave, causing it to list heavily and roll over.
For more on this story, see San Francisco Police Locate Wreckage of Sunken Yacht Near Alcatraz Island.
“There was no evidence at the time of a fire of any kind. What it does appear is that the vessel took a wave and was listing heavily and lost a little bit of stability, and then it quickly rolled over.”
U.S. Coast Guard, via KGO-TV
Victims and Families Affected
Ralph Boisa, who was on the boat, confirmed that the group included extended family members and close friends. Clifford Boisa died after being pulled from the water on Tuesday. By Thursday, authorities recovered the body of a second victim, identified as 58-year-old Tondra Madruga—also known as Tondra Miller.
As the search continues, two people remain missing: Ralph Boisa’s sister, Carol, and Clifford Boisa’s wife, Jackie. This is a boat that’s been tested, proven on the water, ocean-going,
noted sailor Mike Peterson. And it’s the sort of boat you would expect that, because of its quality and being so seaworthy, this sort of thing shouldn’t have happened.
The investigation into the exact cause of the capsizing remains ongoing as authorities evaluate the wreckage. The tragedy has drawn significant attention to the risks of navigating the waters near Alcatraz, an area where the Coast Guard had received the initial distress signal reporting the vessel about one-fourth of a mile west of the island.
