San Francisco police have decided not to bring the wreckage of the Volare back to the surface nearly two months after the 49-foot boat capsized in San Francisco Bay, killing four people.
The vessel went down near Alcatraz Island on July 14 while carrying 20 people. Seventeen passengers were initially pulled from the water, but four people ultimately died. One of the victims, Jackie Boisa, remains missing and is presumed dead.
Police said recovering the boat is no longer considered necessary to continue investigating what caused the disaster. The wreck sits in a deep section of the bay, with estimates placing it roughly 120 to 130 feet underwater. Strong currents in the area also create significant risks for a salvage operation.
The decision does not mean the investigation is over. San Francisco police are still working to determine why the Volare suddenly lost stability and sank and whether the circumstances could lead to criminal charges.
Investigators have already gathered information from survivors and examined the circumstances surrounding the boat’s final moments. The captain, John Boisa, previously told investigators that the vessel was operating on autopilot when it encountered what he described as a rogue wave. The boat then began to roll, leaving passengers scrambling as it went down.
The wreckage was located days after the accident using sonar, and police used a remotely operated vehicle to examine the submerged vessel. At the time, authorities were considering whether a recovery operation could be carried out safely.
The disaster began around 3:30 p.m. on July 14, about 600 feet west of Alcatraz Island. The area is among the deeper parts of San Francisco Bay, making underwater recovery particularly difficult.
Three victims have been publicly identified: Clifford Boisa, 79, Tondra Madruga, 58, and Carol Boisa, 74. Jackie Boisa, Clifford Boisa’s wife, remains unaccounted for.
The passengers were members of an extended family and close friends who had gathered for a memorial trip. The group was traveling to scatter the ashes of a family member.
With the Volare now expected to remain underwater, investigators will continue working with the evidence already collected to establish what caused the boat to capsize and whether anyone should be held responsible.
For now, the decision to leave the wreck in the bay closes one part of the recovery effort but leaves the central question unanswered: what caused the vessel to suddenly overturn that afternoon?
