(FOX40.COM) — The El Dorado Sheriff’s Office said that a seventh person has been confirmed dead and one person remains missing after a 27-foot boat capsized on Lake Tahoe on Saturday afternoon.
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According to the USCG, around 3 p.m., the USCG and local agencies responded to a vessel capsizing at D.L. Bliss State Park, northwest of South Lake Tahoe. Two other people have been transported to a local hospital to be treated for their injuries.
Officials believe the cause of the capsizing was due to swelling; however, that remains under investigation.
The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office stated multiple reports indicated that around 10 people were in the water near the vessel, with wave heights reaching eight feet. It is undetermined how many people were in the boat.
EDSO stated that they coordinated with local emergency response partners and immediately responded to the area.
The EDSO Search and Rescue, along with the EDSO Dive Team, will return to the area on Sunday morning to continue their search operations, officials said.
At this time, the identity of the six people who have been confirmed dead will not be released to the public until the next of kin has been informed.
According to the USCG, the Coast Guard suspended its search at 10:55 a.m. on Sunday for the two people who were missing after their boat capsized on June 21.
Officials stated that the Coast Guard and partner agencies searched over 390 square miles for 12 hours.
“Suspending a search is always a difficult decision to make and weighs heavily on each Coast Guard member involved,” said Coast Guard Cmdr. David Herndon, a search and rescue mission coordinator assigned to Coast Guard Sector San Francisco. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of those involved in the boat capsize.”
This is a developing story.
