Who had life jackets? Mystery surrounds Lake Tahoe boat tragedy
As victims in aboating accident that killed eight peopleare being laid to rest, questions are still swirling about the capsizing on Lake Tahoe, California. Funerals were held July 3 for a New York couple who died in the June 21 boat crash: Jim Guck, 69, and Theresa Giullari, 66, of Honeoye, New York, were among theeight people killed in a sudden, violent squallat the alpine lake that straddles the border of California and Nevada. Arrangements for others were not made public. All 10 on board were thrown into the water and only two – a mother and daughter who authorities said were wearing life jackets – were rescued. Investigators haven't answered questions about whether the eight who died were wearing flotation devices or how many life jackets were aboard. The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office, lead agency on the incident, declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation. "I understand that everyone would like to know various aspects of the case," El Dorado Sgt. Kyle Parker told the Reno Gazette-Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network. More:Mother and daughter identified by GoFundMe as survivors of Tahoe boat tragedy On June 21, a sudden storm hit Lake Tahoe with high winds, 8-foot swells and snow. Online posts show boats capsizing and crashing along the shores. The 27-foot power boat with 10 passengers filled with water and overturned. The bodies of six victims were recovered that day. Dive teams found two victims submerged 300 feet under the surface on June 22 and 23 near D.L. Bliss State Park on the west shore. The two survivors who were rescued from the water were identified in a verified GoFundMe account asAmy Friduss and her mother, Julie Lindsay. Friduss' father and Lindsay's husband, Stephen, 63, of Springwater, New York, was among those killed. Family spokesperson Sam Springer said they are extended family members of the boat's owner, DoorDash executive Joshua Pickles, and his parents, who all perished. The mother and daughter are dealing with "unimaginable circumstances," the GoFundMe said. "Physically, both mother and daughter are on the mend, but are dealing with the heartbreaking loss of their beloved husband and father, best friends and dear family who perished," the page said. Lindsay had recently retired and planned to spend her years with her husband and best friends – who also died on the boat. Friduss is a nurse practitioner, who treats people living in homeless encampments in her free time. The Washoe County Sheriff's Hasty Team posted on Facebook that the survivors were wearing life jackets. FacebookSee posts, photos and more on Facebook. "The two passengers who were wearing Personal Flotation Devices were rescued by responding emergency personnel and transported to the hospital. Sadly, the remaining eight passengers drown," the post said. The sheriff's office would not say whether any others on board wore life jackets. And it's unclear if there were enough on board. DoorDash executive Joshua Pickles, his parents, an uncle and four family friends died: Joshua Pickles, 37, San Francisco Paula Bozinovich, 71, of Redwood City, California Terry Pickles, 73, of Redwood City, California Peter Bayes, 72, of Lincoln, California Timothy O'Leary, 71, of Auburn, California Theresa Giullari, 66, of Honeoyne, New York James Guck, 69, of Honeoyne, New York Stephen Lindsey, 63, of Springwater, New York AGoFundMe set up for Guck and Giullarisaid their deaths have "left a hole that words can't begin to fill. They were not only loving parents and devoted family members, but also proud grandparents who poured their hearts into every moment spent with their grandchildren." They loved the water and boating and had gone on the trip with their best friends, Steve and Julie Lindsay, also from upstate New York. Steve Lindsay died while Julie Lindsay survived. Boating rules require a Coast Guard-approved life jacket for every passenger on board. Children under 13 are required to wear them while on the water. "In regard to boating safety, the wearing of a life vest is always encouraged, and in some cases mandated due to the type of watercraft," Parker with the El Dorado Sheriff's Office told the Reno Gazette-Journal on June 26. "On a boat there must be a PFD for each individual on board and readily accessible. In some cases, depending on the size of the vessel, there are additional safety requirements." According to the Coast Guard, 87% of drowning victims in boating incidents were not wearing life jackets when the cause of death was known. Tahoe's cold temperatures are a risk to anyone even if they are wearing a life jacket. The National Park Service warns thatwater temperatures below 70 degrees can cause hypothermiawithin minutes. In 50-degree water, a person can survive for about 10 minutes before being unable to save themselves, NPS said. With a life jacket, someone might survive for an hour before hypothermia sets in. This article originally appeared on Reno Gazette Journal:Lake Tahoe boat tragedy still surrounded in mystery
Who had life jackets? Mystery surrounds Lake Tahoe boat tragedy As victims in aboating accident that killed eight peopleare being laid to re...
