One dead, two missing after boat capsizes near Alcatraz Island

One person died and two others were missing after a three-deck pontoon boat carrying 19 people capsized near Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay Tuesday afternoon, July 14, 2026, officials said. Authorities were still working to piece together how a recreational outing turned into a mass rescue, and they did not immediately say what caused the vessel to overturn or how many people were wearing life jackets.

The boat was about 600 yards off Alcatraz when a fire was reported at about 3:35 p.m., but San Francisco Fire Chief Dean Crispen said first responders saw no active blaze when they reached the scene. Fire officials described the craft as a three-deck pontoon vessel, and Crispen said it appeared to be a recreational-type boat that had reportedly launched from a yacht club. Everyone on board was believed to be an adult.

Thirteen people were rescued and brought safely to shore, while three others were taken to hospitals. Their conditions were not immediately known. A dog was also aboard and died. The U.S. Coast Guard, San Francisco Fire Department, Oakland Police Department and local police departments all joined the response, with 11 boats, divers and helicopters searching the water around the island.

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie called it an "all-hands-on-deck" response as crews continued looking for the two missing people for hours after the capsizing. Firefighters said they were "in full rescue mode" while the search went on as long as it remained safe.

The emergency unfolded close to Alcatraz Island, about a mile offshore in San Francisco Bay. The island, once a federal prison that closed in 1963, is now part of the National Park system, a reminder that even a routine trip on the bay can turn dangerous within minutes when a boat goes down near the harbor’s most visible landmark.