Anyone boating on Tahoe should know that the weather can change on very short notice.
On June 21, 2025 at 3 PM a sudden Tahoe wind resulted in the death of 8 people from a capsized chriss-craft launch 27' bow rider, when they were caught in a large swell when winds gusted to 35mph near near Rubicon Point at D. L. Bliss State Park at 3PM Saturday June 21, 2025
The boat was at capacity of 10 people. 2 with life jackets were rescued and sent to the hospital with hypothermia and other injuries. 6 bodies were pulled from the water near thecapsized boat the day of the accident. 2 people were still missing.
Late Sunday afternoon, one victim was located and recovered at a depth of just over 300 feet by the Washoe County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue Hasty Team, along with the Sheriff's Specialized Vehicle Unit in Marine 9 and 10. The final victim was recovered Monday afternoon at a similar depth.
The Hasty team's Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), is equipped with cameras, lights, sonar, and an articulating arm.
Search and recovery efforts involved multiple agencies, including the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District.
It was near Roster Rock, a popular 35 ft cliff diving spot. There are rock walls and no beaches in this area near the old lighthouse along the Bliss-Emerald Bay Rubicon Trail.
The Lighthouse was constructed in 1919.
It is near the Rubicon Wall dive site at Emerald Bay Underwater State Park which drops down hundreds of feet, often in dead-vertical craggy granite cliffs. A body sinking here would be beyond the reach of advanced scuba divers.
The wind was influenced by a cold front passing through the ares. Behind this cold front, strong north-to-south winds picket up. This was unusual because winds typically blow across Tahoe from the southwest to northeast.
On the 21st the wind was from the south at 7 MPH in the morning.
Summer thunderstorms are not uncommon in Lake Tahoe, but Saturday’s thunderstorm was particularly strong. At 1:45 p.m., South Lake Tahoe Airport reported a temperature of 57 degrees under clear skies and light winds.
An hour later, the mercury dropped to 45 degrees with gusts exceeding 30 mph. Temperatures plummeted as low as 37 degrees just before 4 p.m. as a mix of rain and snow began to fall.
The water temperature was 59°. It doesn't take long to get hypothermia when exposed to it.
The boating trip was a part of the 71st birthday celebration for Paula BozinovichJosh, 71, of San Francisco.
Pickles and his father owned the boat involved in the accident.
Perished:
Josh Pickles, 37, of San Francisco - an executive at at DoorDash Terry Pickles, 73 of Redwood City Josh's father Paula Bozinovich, 71 of Redwood City Peter Bayes, 72, of Lincoln - Josh's Uncle Timothy O’Leary, 71, of Auburn Theresa Giullari, 66 of Honeoye, N.Y. James Guck, 69, both of Honeoye, N.Y. Stephen "Zippy" Lindsay, 63, of Springwater, N.Y.Survived wearing life jackets:
Water temperature was 59°. It takes 10 to 15 minutes to lose dexterity in water at that temperature and you can't save yourself.
Cold Shock can trigger involuntary gasping, rapid breathing or hyperventilating due to the “shock” of sudden immersion.
As you drown your lungs fill with water and you start to sink.
It can take several days for bacteria in your gut and chest cavity which produces gas which causes you to float.
Joby Cefalu, owner of Mile High Fishing Charters said,
"I told my customers, ‘Essentially, we’re looking at probably 2- or 3-foot chop by the time we get a half an hour from here, and from there it’s going to probably be a little bit worse,’” Cefalu recalled saying as he headed the boat he was piloting back toward the marina. “Within 15 minutes, there was 5- to 6-foot chop, and then within a half-hour, it was 8 to 10-foot chop."