SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (BN24) — Authorities recovered the final body Monday from a boating tragedy that unfolded over the weekend on Lake Tahoe, raising the death toll to eight in one of the deadliest accidents on the lake in recent memory.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, a 27-foot Chris-Craft vessel carrying 10 people capsized Saturday afternoon near D.L. Bliss State Park on the lake’s southwest edge when a powerful and fast-moving thunderstorm triggered dangerous conditions, including eight-foot waves and winds exceeding 35 mph. The final victim was located Monday afternoon by dive teams searching the lake’s depths.
El Dorado County Sheriff’s officials confirmed that two people were rescued from the water immediately following the accident and hospitalized. Six bodies were recovered on Saturday, and a seventh was found Sunday evening. The identities of the victims have not yet been released, pending notification of their families, Sgt. Kyle Parker said in a statement.
While drowning incidents occur annually on Lake Tahoe — a high-altitude alpine lake straddling the California-Nevada border — large-scale boating disasters like Saturday’s are rare. According to the South Lake Tahoe Police Department, the lake sees an average of six deaths each summer, with a record of 15 in 2021. Officials could not immediately provide updated figures for 2023 or 2024.
Meteorologist Matthew Chyba of the National Weather Service in Reno, Nevada, said the storm that engulfed the southern part of Lake Tahoe shortly after 3 p.m. on Saturday came on stronger than expected. Although some rain had been forecast, the intensity of the thunderstorm — with wind gusts over 35 mph and wave swells surpassing eight feet — exceeded predictions.
“We weren’t expecting it to be so strong,” Chyba said, noting that the cold, unstable air mass contributed to the severity of the storm. “Eight-foot waves on Tahoe is pretty significant. They were really rocking the lake.”
Brittany Glick, who was celebrating a friend’s bachelorette party on a rented pontoon boat Saturday, said the weather shifted dramatically within minutes. What began as a sunny day quickly turned into a nightmare as visibility dropped, temperatures plummeted, and waves intensified.
“It felt like we were in a tsunami that was starting,” Glick told reporters. “We were shaking uncontrollably. Our feet were numb. That was probably one of the scariest moments I’ve had in my 30 years.”
As Glick’s group returned to the dock, hail began to fall and boats nearby began colliding in the chaos. Video captured by KCRA-TV showed vessels slamming into one another at a nearby marina.
Authorities have not yet released information on whether the vessel involved in the fatal accident was privately owned or rented, nor have they shared details about the occupants.
Lake Tahoe, with its stunning scenery and deep, cold waters, is a top summer destination for recreational boaters, kayakers, and paddleboarders. But the lake’s high elevation and unpredictable weather can pose serious dangers, particularly during sudden storms.
Saturday’s storm cleared within about two hours, but the aftermath has left a community shaken — and a stark reminder of the risks that come with navigating one of America’s most beautiful, yet unforgiving, lakes.
AP
