A 19-person pontoon boat caught fire and sank in San Francisco Bay Tuesday afternoon. Sixteen people were rescued; search efforts continued.
9:22 PM
A pontoon boat carrying 19 people caught fire and sank in San Francisco Bay on Tuesday afternoon, leaving one person dead and two others missing, authorities said.
The vessel caught fire approximately 600 yards off Alcatraz Island, between the famous tourist attraction and the Golden Gate Bridge. The boat, described as a three-deck pontoon-type pleasure boat, launched from near the St. Francis Yacht Club.
Fire department crews received a call after 3:30 p.m. PT reporting a boat on fire. When first responders arrived, some people were in the water and others remained on the vessel. The boat subsequently sank beneath the frigid waters of the bay.
The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed that 16 people were rescued from the water. Of those rescued, 13 were safe on shore while three others were receiving medical treatment at a San Francisco hospital. The extent of injuries among the rescued individuals remained unclear.
San Francisco Fire Chief Dean Crispen said divers were in the water and 11 vessels were involved in the search operation. First responders transported rescued passengers to the Fort Mason area in San Francisco.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie and city authorities held a press conference to address the incident. The Coast Guard confirmed that search-and-rescue efforts were ongoing as of Tuesday afternoon.
Video footage captured by news crews showed the red pontoon boat partially and then fully submerged in the bay water.
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