6 days ago
Lake Tahoe boat capsize: Life jackets saved mother and daughter
The two passengers who survived last weekend's fatal Lake Tahoe boating capsize were wearing life jackets when they were rescued, officials confirmed.
The two survivors were identified as Amy Friduss and her mother, Julie Lindsay.
'The two passengers who were wearing Personal Flotation Devices were rescued by responding emergency personnel and transported to the hospital,' the Washoe County Sheriff's Hasty Team wrote in an update. 'Sadly, the remaining eight passengers drown.'
The incident, among the deadliest in the lake's recent history, occurred last Saturday afternoon when a 27-foot Chris-Craft powerboat capsized near D.L. Bliss State Park. A sudden summer storm with 45 mph winds and 8-foot swells upended what had begun as a celebratory outing.
The group had gathered to celebrate the 71st birthday of Paula Bozinovich, who died along with seven others.
The deceased included her son, Joshua Pickles, 37, a San Francisco-based executive at DoorDash; her husband, Terry Pickles, 73; and her brother, Peter Bayes, 72. Other victims hailed from California and New York, including Timothy O'Leary, 71, Theresa Giullari, 66, James Guck, 69, and Stephen Lindsay, 63.
Six victims were recovered Saturday from the surface near the overturned boat, according to the Washoe County Sheriff's Office. The bodies of two other victims were later located after recovery efforts resumed.
According to a GoFundMe page organized by Friduss' high school classmates, both women are recovering physically but are 'dealing with the heartbreaking loss of their beloved husband and father, best friends, and dear family who perished.'
Julie Lindsay's husband, Stephen 'Zippy' Lindsay, was among those lost.
He was described as the 'unofficial mayor of Honeoye' in New York and was known for his quick wit. Julie had recently retired and was planning to spend her years with her husband, their lifelong friends Giullari and Guck, and extended family in California.
'Now, it's just Amy and her mom left to face the unthinkable — broken hearts, unanswered questions, and the difficulty of life with only memories to hold onto,' the post reads.
Amy Friduss, a nurse practitioner, is known for treating people living in homeless encampments during her spare time. Julie Lindsay, her classmates wrote, 'would quite literally give the shirt off her back if someone needed it.'
On Sunday, at the request of El Dorado County authorities, the Washoe County Sheriff's Office deployed its Search and Rescue Hasty Team along with Marine 9 and Marine 10 crews.
By late Sunday afternoon, the first missing victim was recovered from a depth of just over 300 feet using a remotely operated vehicle equipped with sonar and cameras. The final victim was located and retrieved Monday at a similar depth.
The two passengers who survived were both hospitalized for hypothermia and other injuries.
Water temperatures on Lake Tahoe hovered just above 58 degrees at the time of the incident — cold enough to induce fatal hypothermia in minutes.
'This incident is an unimaginable tragedy for the family and friends of the people involved, and the thoughts and prayers of everyone at the Washoe County Sheriff's Office are with them,' the agency added.
