Rescue operation underway after boat fire off Alcatraz leaves one missing

A passenger boat caught fire Tuesday afternoon about 600 yards from Alcatraz Island, prompting a multiagency rescue effort that saved 17 people while one person remains missing, according to the San Francisco Fire Department as reported by KRON4. The U.S. Coast Guard and other crews responded to the scene, transporting survivors to Gashouse Cove Marina, the Los Angeles Times reported.

KRON4One person missing after boat fire near Alcatraz, 17 others rescued

"There are conflicting reports as to whether the craft overturned or ..."

KRON4 noted that up to nine people were injured in the incident, though the exact nature of the emergency was still being clarified. The vessel was carrying 19 people total, according to the Los Angeles Times, leaving one unaccounted for as of late afternoon.

ABC30 reported a more dire outcome, stating that at least one person was killed in the sinking boat incident. However, other sources, including the Associated Press via TownAndCountryToday, described the event as a fire on a pontoon boat with one missing and 17 rescued, indicating that the official casualty count may still be in flux.

2 sources

ABC30LIVE: At least 1 killed in sinking boat in San Francisco Bay near Alcatraz; rescue underwayTownAndCountryToday1 missing and 17 rescued after a boat fire near Alcatraz Island off San Francisco

Search and rescue efforts were ongoing as of Tuesday evening, with authorities from the San Francisco Fire Department, Coast Guard, and other agencies coordinating the response. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, and officials have not released the identities of those involved.