None of the eight people killed in a horrible navigation accident In Lake Tahoe, in June, wore life jackets, according to a preliminary report published Wednesday by the National Transportation Safety Board.
THE report Indicates that the decision to have a life jacket put on when a pleasant day has become a previous storm made a critical difference in the fate of passengers.
The tragedy took place on June 21 when a 28 -foot long boat carrying 10 people capsized on Lake California in the middle of 8 -foot, snow and hail waves.
The water temperature was frightening of 54 degrees. Civil servants warn This water below 70 degrees is cold enough to cause hypothermia if a person is exposed to the conditions for a sufficiently long period.
Six people were found dead in the water without life vests this afternoon, while two bodies were discovered on the lake soil near the accident site the next day. Among the two people who survived, one was found bearing a life jacket and the other was found hung on a life jacket.
Drowning victims were Joshua Pickles of the management of Doordash Joshua And his parents, Terry Pickles and Paula Bozinovich, his uncle Peter Bayes and four of their friends. The two survivors were Amy Friduss and her mother, Julie Lindsay. Lindsay’s husband and Friduss’ father Stephen Lindsay also died in the accident.
According to the report, one of the survivors put a life jacket and began to distribute them to other passengers after the stormy time sent a large wave on the boat.
“No one else has immediately put on their VPU [personal flotation device]”Indicates the report.” Shortly after, the boat rolled towards starboard and the passengers entered the water. The survivor recalled that he had started to snow after the boat turned over while people were in the water. »»
A rescue company then recovered the boat, which was examined by investigators from the NTSB coastal guard and the United States.
“The investigators found no evidence of a hull leak, a land setting or contact with an object,” said the report. “On the ship, the investigators found a VFI still in its plastic packaging with labels on it, a lifespan vest for infants always in its packaging, a storage bag of vest of unwatering lifespan and five inflatable CFDs in storage compartments.”
The Chris-Craft private boat called the Moon took place for a recreation day on Lake Tahoe on the morning of June 21. It was built in 2023 and worth $ 393,000, according to the report.
The weather was pleasant with a clear sky, light winds and an air temperature in the 1950s. The National Weather Service had made no marine warning or small craft opinion for the Lake Tahoe region that day; However, zone forecasts indicated a slight chance of thunderstorms.
Four adults, including the two owners of recorded boats, left at 10:40 a.m. from the boats, six additional passengers on board in a marina, and the whole crew headed for Emerald Bay around noon, according to the report.
This hidden cove is one of the most emblematic areas of the lake, known for its turquoise waters, its steep granite cliffs and its dense pine forests. The boat anchored there for about 90 minutes before the weather suddenly moves around 2 p.m. and the driver decided to return to the Marina.
At that time, the wind, the rain and the waves had resumed, then the driver returned to the bay. Ten minutes later, he made a second attempt to return to the Marina.
One of the survivors recalled that the boat had been bombed by hail the size of the marble while the waves passed to 8 to 10 feet, breaking the bow of the boat, according to the report. The winds were blowing up to 34 knots, blowing snow and gries on the ship.
A hiker called 911 around 3 p.m. after witnessing the cap capable by the shores of DL Bliss State Park, in the southwest of Lake Tahoe. Another hiker and a rescuer from California State Parks helped to draw the survivors from the water and they were transported to the hospital and treated for hypothermia.
In California, all children under the age of 13 are legally required to wear a life jacket during a boat. The life jackets are optional for adults, but each boat must transport enough personal flotation devices for each passenger.
At 5.30 p.m. that evening, the sky was blue again and the waters were calm, but it was too late to save the eight remaining passengers.