A tragic boating accident occurred on Lake Tahoe Saturday, resulting in six deaths, two hospitalizations, and two missing individuals. The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office reported that a 27-foot Chris-Craft powerboat carrying 10 people capsized near D.L. Bliss State Park around 3 p.m. due to a sudden storm. The storm caused winds to gust over 35 mph and created swells up to eight feet high, making the waters extremely dangerous.
The U.S. Coast Guard and the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office conducted a search operation spanning over 12 hours and 390 nautical air miles. However, the Coast Guard suspended the air search for the two missing individuals just before 11 a.m. on Sunday. The sheriff’s office continues to search the waters near the site of the accident.
According to the Reno Gazette Journal, the deceased were adults, but the identities have not been released pending next-of-kin notifications. It remains unclear if any children were on board or if the passengers were wearing life jackets.
The National Parks Service warns that water temperatures below 70 degrees can cause hypothermia within minutes. Lake Tahoe’s water temperature was just over 58 degrees on Sunday, making survival difficult without proper gear.
The sheriff’s office also reported multiple other water emergencies in the area on Saturday, highlighting the severe weather conditions. The search for the two missing boaters is ongoing, with a dive team and search and rescue teams involved.
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