1 dead and 3 missing after boat carrying mostly family members sinks near Alcatraz Island

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — One person died, three people were missing and 16 were rescued from the waters off San Francisco after a pontoon boat sank Tuesday afternoon while carrying mostly family members as part of a memorial service, authorities said.

Crews arriving on the scene near Alcatraz Island found a three-deck pontoon vessel almost fully under water with the motor still running and leaking fuel, San Francisco Fire Chief Dean Crispen said.

By Tuesday evening, authorities were searching for the missing in open ocean on the western side of the Golden Gate Bridge. The search, which involved divers, helicopters and vessels, was expected to continue all night, officials said.

Authorities updated the initial number of missing people from two to three after hearing from witnesses.

“Right now we are in full rescue mode,” Crispen said, adding that three people who suffered injuries falling from the boat were taken to a hospital and expected to be released Tuesday night.

Alcatraz Island, once a federal prison infamously inescapable due to the strong ocean currents and cold Pacific waters that surround it, is now a tourist destination. It is located in San Francisco Bay about a mile (about 1.6 kilometers) north of the city's shoreline, in an often windy area that attracts sailboats and other recreational vessels.

Videos of the scene showed boats deployed to rescue people who had been on the vessel, which was largely submerged with objects floating nearby.

The boating mishap was initially reported as a fire, “but we now don’t have any evidence of that,” Crispen said.

The person who died was alive when plucked from the frigid waters by rescue crews but later died. A dog onboard also died.

All those rescued were taken to Gashouse Cove Marina, a small craft harbor in San Francisco.

Aaron Anfinson, captain of the Bass-Tub, told the San Francisco Chronicle his boat was carrying guests toward the Golden Gate Bridge in “pretty windy, a little choppy” waters when a man on a smaller vessel flagged them down and pointed to a pontoon boat in the middle of the bay that appeared to be on fire.

By the time the Bass-Tub reached it, the flames were out, but the pontoon was sinking. Some people were already in the water while others remained aboard, Anfinson said, adding that they tried to hand out life jackets to the passengers.

One woman's head was injured.

“We figured we would get her first,” Anfinson said. A deckhand lowered a swim ladder and threw a life ring into the water to help pull her aboard.

“It was scary,” Anfinson said. “I don’t want to see anybody in that situation.”

Fire Lt. Mariano Elias said the vessel, described as a “pontoon pleasure boat,” was about 600 yards (about 550 meters) from Alcatraz and the emergency call came in just after 3:30 p.m.

Crispen said the vessel was believed to have launched near the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco. A person who answered the phone there said the club did not have any information on what happened.

Live video from the scene showed a man and a woman wrapped in blankets and sitting on a curb before walking to a nearby ambulance. A yellow tarp covered a body on the dock.

The Coast Guard and Oakland police also helped in the rescue, Elias said.

Associated Press writers Sophie Austin in Sacramento, California, Claire Rush in Portland, Oregon, and Hallie Golden in Seattle, and photographer Noah Berger in San Francisco contributed to this story.

A helicopter flies past the Golden Gate Bridge while searching for missing victims after a boat accident near Alcatraz Island off San Francisco, Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A San Francisco Fire Department vessel passes the city skyline while searching for missing victims after a boat accident near Alcatraz Island off San Francisco, Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A helicopter goes past the Golden Gate Bridge as part of search and rescue efforts near the site of boat accident on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A U.S. Coast Guard crew goes past Alcatraz Island near the site of a pontoon boat accident on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A body is covered with a tarp on a dock near the site of boat accident on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A body is covered with a tarp on a dock near the site of boat accident on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Emergency crews gather at a dock near the site of a pontoon boat fire on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Emergency crews stage near the site of a pontoon boat fire on Tuesday, July 14, 2026 in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Haven Daley)

An Oakland Police boat is docked near the site of a pontoon boat fire on Tuesday, July 14, 2026 in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Haven Daley)

A U.S. Coast Guard crew patrols near the site of a pontoon boat fire on Tuesday, July 14, 2026 in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Emergency crews gather at a dock near the site of a pontoon boat fire on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bryson Stott put the Phillies ahead with a two-run single in the sixth inning, and Philadelphia rallied for its fifth straight victory, 6-4 over the Miami Marlins on Tuesday night.

The Phillies trailed 3-1 before they sent nine batters to the plate in the sixth and scored four times against reliever Michael Petersen (2-3). Alec Bohm, who also had an RBI single in the first, opened the scoring in the sixth with a run-scoring double. After Stott's hit — which extended his on-base streak to a career-high 19 games — Justin Crawford had a run-scoring single to make it 5-3.

Philadelphia occupies the second NL wild-card spot after sweeping Minnesota and winning the first two against the Marlins.

Alex McFarlane (1-1) allowed one unearned run in the sixth, earning his first career win. Brooks Raley, the fifth Phillies pitcher, retired the side on 12 pitches in the ninth for his first save.

Phillies starter Zack Wheeler gave up two runs in five innings. He struck out seven and walked four.

Griffin Conine homered in the second for the Marlins, his 14th of the season.

Bohm completed an unassisted double play at first base in the seventh when he caught a line drive and stepped on the bag.

In the seventh, Philadelphia's Trea Turner was hit by a pitch on his left hand, but plate umpire Shane Livensparger ruled that Turner swung at the 1-2 pitch for a strikeout. A replay review confirmed the call, and Phillies manager Don Mattingly had a lengthy chat with the umpiring crew.

Phillies star Bryce Harper extended his on-base streak to 22 games with a single in the first.

Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara (13-7, 3.43 ERA) pitches against the Phillies' Aaron Nola (4-9, 5.33 ERA) on Wednesday as Miami seeks to avoid a three-game sweep.

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Philadelphia Phillies' Brandon Marsh brakes his bat while grounding out off a pitch by Miami Marlins pitcher Josh Ekness a during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Philadelphia Phillies' Bryce Harper scoots past Miami Marlins catcher Brian Navarreto off of an RBI single by Phillies Alec Bohm during the first inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Brooks Raley, right, and catcher J.T. Realmuto celebrate after the Phillies won a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Philadelphia Phillies' Luis Arraez, left, and Alec Bohm, right, celebrate with Brandon Marsh (16) after scoring of an RBI double hit by Phillies Bryson Stott during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins,Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Philadelphia Phillies' Bryson Stott, scores past Miami Marlins catcher Brian Navarreto, on an RBI single by Kyle Schwarber, during the eighth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)