No life vests worn by victims in deadly Lake Tahoe boat capsizing
Federal investigators have confirmed that none of the eight people who died in last month’s Lake Tahoe boat capsizing were wearing life vests at the time of the incident.
The tragic accident occurred on June 21, when a 28-foot Chris-Craft boat overturned during a sudden thunderstorm on the lake’s western shore. The vessel was carrying 10 people, including four members of a family celebrating a birthday, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
The group had set off around noon under calm weather conditions. But within two hours, wind speeds intensified, and waves reached up to 10 feet (3 meters) high.
“As the boat was returning to shore around 2:30 p.m., hail began to fall, and the vessel became broadside to the waves,” the preliminary NTSB report stated. “At one point, a particularly large wave overtook the boat, which had already begun taking on water.”
Passengers tried to bail water from the boat, but their efforts were overwhelmed by the force of the storm. The boat capsized shortly after 3 p.m.
According to the report, no distress calls were made from the boat. Emergency services were alerted by hikers on the shore who saw the vessel flip over.
Two passengers were rescued shortly after the accident. One was wearing a life vest, while the other was found clinging to a floating one. Tragically, the other eight passengers were found dead—none were wearing life jackets.
The report confirmed that four life vests and one life preserver ring were recovered from the site, indicating that safety equipment was on board but not used.
Six bodies were recovered on the day of the incident, and two more were found the following day.
Authorities said toxicology tests are being conducted on the deceased to determine whether alcohol or drugs played a role in the incident. Results are pending.
The weather that day had been forecast to bring rain, but meteorologists admitted they were surprised by the intensity of the storm. Wind gusts reached up to 39 mph (62 kph) near the time of the accident.
By 4 p.m., conditions began to improve, and the skies cleared by 5:30 p.m., the report noted.
While drownings occur every summer on Lake Tahoe, mass casualty boating accidents like this are uncommon.
“We average about six deaths per summer on the lake,” said South Lake Tahoe Police Lt. Scott Crivelli. “But an incident with this many fatalities is rare. The last high year was 2021, when 15 people died.”
The NTSB will continue its investigation and is expected to release a final report in the coming months.
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