What we know about the victims of a deadly boat capsizing in SF Bay

Two family members have been recovered while two more remain missing after a catastrophic boating accident near Alcatraz Island last week. Here is what we know about the deadly accident on San Francisco Bay:

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Twenty family and friends, some experienced boaters, gathered on Tuesday to celebrate the life of a loved one who passed away in 2015. They planned to scatter the ashes of the 32-year-old woman in the bay in honor of her love of surfing, the New York Times reported. The three-level cruiser was named the Volare, and its owner and captain, John Boisa, normally kept the vessel in Stockton. That day, they departed from the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, headed out past the Golden Gate Bridge, and then were making their way back on Tuesday afternoon. At 3:30 p.m., the San Francisco Fire Department received a call for a vessel in distress amid choppy waves. By the time they arrived, the boat was already well on its way to sinking.

Some people fell overboard in the chaos, while others found themselves trapped inside the main cabin. Witnesses initially thought the boat was on fire, but fire officials later clarified they likely saw steam from the hot engine hitting the cold bay waters. 

Thirteen people were rescued and treated at the scene, three were taken to hospitals and later released, and four are either confirmed or presumed dead. 

Two victims have been recovered and identified. One is Clifford Joseph Boisa, 79, the brother of the boat’s owner. Boisa was living in Sutter County at the time of his death and had worked as a reserve deputy for the county sheriff’s department from 1987 until 2001. 

Also recovered was Tondra Miller, 58, a family friend. According to loved ones who spoke with the New York Times, Miller, who sometimes went by the last name Madruga, tried to escape the wreckage with another passenger, but the two became separated. Miller was accustomed to boating on the bay; she used to go to McCovey Cove to watch Giants games, the Times reported.

“She loved from the heart everyone she met,” a childhood friend told KCRA. “Just a beautiful, amazing person.”

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Still missing are two members of the Boisa family: Jackie Boisa, 77, and Carol Boisa, 74. Jackie Boisa is married to Clifford Boisa, and Carol Boisa is one of his siblings. Clifford and Jackie were set to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary later this year.

“Half of my siblings are gone,” brother Ralph Boisa told the Times. “It just makes no sense.”

The Volare sank down some 130 feet deep, which makes the recovery process more complex and dangerous. 

An investigation is ongoing into the cause of the deadly sinking. According to witnesses, the boat was submerged within minutes, and some maritime experts have suggested that in order for it to sink that fast, the boat may have already been damaged when it capsized.