Developing·Case the developing record
#DC-0040

San Francisco Bay boat sinking

A boat capsized and sank near Alcatraz Island, leaving one person dead, three missing and 16 rescued.

Missing person
last updated 9 August 2026 · 8 sources
Confirmed facts
23
Open questions
6
Fatalities
3
Missing
1
Rescued
16
Charges
None reported
This case is still developing. Get an email when the file updates.
Audio brief · automated narration of the sourced record
Transcript

Case file San Francisco Bay boat sinking, reference D C zero zero four zero. CBS San Francisco reported that on July fourteenth, twenty twenty-six, a boat capsized about six hundred yards from Alcatraz at about three thirty p.m. The Associated Press reported that twenty family members and friends were aboard. The Associated Press reported that Clifford Boisa died shortly after being pulled from the water, sixteen people were rescued, and his dog also died. CBS San Francisco reported that the medical examiner identified him as Clifford Joseph Boisa, seventy-nine. CBS San Francisco reported that the Coast Guard suspended its search after twenty-three hours. The Associated Press later reported that Tondra Madruga, fifty-eight, also known as Tondra Miller, was identified after a body was recovered near Treasure Island. CBS San Francisco reported that Carol Boisa, seventy-four, was recovered near the Golden Gate Bridge. Jackie Boisa remained missing. The file’s open questions include what caused the vessel to capsize, whether it can be salvaged, and whether any investigation has reached findings. This has been an automated reading of case file D C zero zero four zero at developing case dot com. Every fact you heard names a public source.

Timeline of what's confirmed23 entries
14 July 2026 afternoon
CBS San Francisco reported that the boat capsized about 600 yards from Alcatraz at about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.
CBS San Francisco
15 July 2026
AP reported that U.S. Coast Guard crews searched San Francisco Bay on Wednesday for three people missing after a boat capsized the previous day with 20 family members and friends aboard.
AP
15 July 2026
AP reported that Clifford Boisa died shortly after being pulled from the water, 16 people were rescued, and Clifford Boisa's dog also died.
AP
15 July 2026
CBS San Francisco reported that the San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner identified the person who died as Clifford Joseph Boisa, 79.
CBS San Francisco
15 July 2026
CBS San Francisco reported that three other passengers were treated for impact injuries from jumping into the water and were later released, while 13 other passengers were brought safely to shore.
CBS San Francisco
15 July 2026
CBS San Francisco reported that U.S. Coast Guard Commander Jarod Toczko said the Coast Guard would suspend the search at sunset on Wednesday after 23 hours of searching.
CBS San Francisco
15 July 2026
CBS San Francisco reported that Toczko said crews had searched more than 950 square nautical miles and 1,700 miles of track line.
CBS San Francisco
15 July 2026
AP reported that Toczko said crews had identified the location where the boat sank but had not yet determined how deep it sank.
AP
15 July 2026
AP reported that San Francisco Police Commander Brien Hoo said officials would send divers or an underwater drone once the boat was located to determine whether salvage was feasible.
AP
15 July 2026
CBS San Francisco reported that officials said recovery crews would use sonar to locate the vessel on the bay floor and determine whether it could be raised to the surface.
CBS San Francisco
15 July 2026
AP reported that San Francisco Fire Department Chief Dean Crispen said witnesses reported rough seas and rescuers reported swells up to 5 feet, while marine weather conditions did not warrant a National Weather Service small craft advisory.
AP
15 July 2026
AP reported that Fire Department spokesperson Lt. Mariano Elias said the vessel was named Volare and was registered out of Stockton, California.
AP
15 July 2026
AP reported that VesselFinder data showed the boat departed a San Francisco marina, passed under the Golden Gate Bridge twice, visited Angel Island State Park, and was returning toward San Francisco when it sank near Alcatraz.
AP
14–15 July 2026
Reporting described the vessel in varying terms: AP cited officials calling it a three-deck pontoon vessel or pontoon pleasure boat, while AP and CBS San Francisco also described it as a three-deck, 49-foot cabin cruiser named Volare.
AP; CBS San Francisco
16 July 2026
AP reported that the San Francisco Police Department's marine unit recovered a body from San Francisco Bay near Treasure Island after a boater first reported it.
AP · added 24 Jul 2026
17 July 2026
AP reported that the San Francisco medical examiner identified the recovered body as Tondra Madruga, 58, also known as Tondra Miller, one of the three people who had been missing.
AP · added 24 Jul 2026
17 July 2026
AP reported that the San Francisco Police Department's Marine Unit located the submerged wreckage of the Volare in the vicinity of where it sank.
AP · added 24 Jul 2026
17 July 2026
Depth estimates in trusted reporting varied: AP, citing police, reported the boat was believed to be on a rocky seabed in 120 feet of water, while the Los Angeles Times, citing San Francisco Police Cmdr. Brien Hoo, reported the capsize area was about 130 feet deep.
AP; Los Angeles Times · added 24 Jul 2026
17 July 2026
AP reported that police were still looking for two missing people, and Ralph Boisa identified them as Carol Boisa and Jackie Boisa.
AP · added 24 Jul 2026
25 July 2026
CBS San Francisco reported that Carol Boisa was recovered from the water near the Golden Gate Bridge.
CBS San Francisco · added 9 Aug 2026
25 July 2026 10:00 a.m.
CBS San Francisco reported that San Francisco Police Department Marine Unit 10 officers responded to a report of a body in the water near Point Diablo in the Marin Headlands and recovered the body with help from the San Francisco Fire Department.
CBS San Francisco · added 9 Aug 2026
27 July 2026
CBS San Francisco reported that the San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner identified the recovered person as Carol Boisa, 74, of Sacramento County.
CBS San Francisco · added 9 Aug 2026
27 July 2026
CBS San Francisco reported that, after Carol Boisa's recovery, Jackie Boisa remained the sole missing passenger of the Volare.
CBS San Francisco · added 9 Aug 2026
Open questionsunconfirmed · not conclusions
What caused the vessel to capsize and sink?unconfirmed; AP and CBS reported witness accounts and rough-water conditions but no official cause determination · unconfirmed
Where exactly is the vessel on the bay floor and how deep is it?unconfirmed; AP reported crews had identified the sinking location but not the depth · unconfirmed
Can the vessel be safely raised or otherwise salvaged?unconfirmed; AP and CBS reported that officials still needed underwater assessment · unconfirmed
Were all required safety measures and equipment in place and used?unconfirmed; AP and CBS reported life jackets were aboard, but witness accounts varied on who was wearing them · unconfirmed
Has any official investigation reached findings or led to enforcement action?unconfirmed; no charges or findings were reported by AP, CBS San Francisco, or The Guardian in the sources reviewed · unconfirmed
Are either of the two remaining missing passengers inside the submerged Volare?unconfirmed; the Los Angeles Times reported that authorities were assessing the wreckage and continuing the search · unconfirmed
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