On Saturday in South Lake Tahoe, calm weather quickly changed in the afternoon as unexpected winds picked up, creating hazardous conditions on the water. Despite a promising start for boaters, by 2 p.m. waves escalated from glassy waters to dangerous 8-10 foot chop within half an hour. Lifelong boater Joby Cefalu noted the sudden change as several boats capsized, leading to passengers being thrown into the frigid water. Tragically, eight out of ten occupants from one boat near D.L. Bliss State Park died despite rescue efforts, highlighting the lake's unpredictable nature.
The next two hours would be a race against time and Mother Nature as conditions on the lake rapidly deteriorated, faster than many locals and longtime mariners had ever seen.
I told my customers, 'Essentially, we're looking at probably 2- or 3-foot chop by the time we get a half an hour from here, and from there it's going to probably be a little bit worse.'
In a matter of minutes, several boats on South Lake Tahoe capsized - in at least two cases, passengers were plunged into cold and choppy waters.
Eight of the 10 occupants on one of those boats near D.L. Bliss State Park would die in the dangerous conditions, despite rescue efforts.
Collection
[
|
...
]