The U.S. Coast Guard reports that a boat overturned on Lake Tahoe on Saturday afternoon due to strong winds and huge surf, leaving at least six persons dead and two missing.
The ship, a 27-foot gold Chris-Craft, capsized close to D.L. Bliss State Park during stormy weather that produced 6- to 8-foot surf and 30-knot gusts, according to a Coast Guard news release.
In a news release, the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office stated that it was notified of the issue shortly before 5 p.m. on Saturday and that callers had reported seeing ten persons in the water. The office also responded to the scene. According to the release, emergency reaction teams retrieved the bodies of six deceased individuals and rescued two others who were taken to a hospital. Until kin were notified, the names of the deceased were not made public.
According to sheriff’s officials, rescue efforts for the two unaccounted-for individuals resumed on Sunday.
As strong thunderstorms battered the region on Saturday, Sacramento TV news station KCRA 3 recorded footage of boats in South Lake Tahoe swaying violently. According to the Sacramento Bee, the storms also dusted the nearby mountains with snow in the early summer.
