Latest news with #PersonalFlotationDevices
San Francisco Chronicle
2 days ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
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.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Two women rescued from flooded road in Bedford
BEDFORD, Va. (WFXR) – The Bedford Fire Department assisted with the rescue of two people who became trapped after attempting to drive through a flooded roadway in Bedford on May 13. Bedford fire officials said just after 2 p.m. on Tuesday, crews with Company 1 responded to Rocky Ford Road. At the scene, a vehicle was found stuck in flooded water with two women trapped inside. Local agencies share flood safety tips ahead of possible heavy rainfall (Photo Credit: Bedford Fire Department) Flooding in Campbell County closes Simons Run Members of Rescue 1's swift water rescue team began rescue operations. The driver and a passenger were placed in Personal Flotation Devices or PFDs and then safely removed from the flooded road, according to Bedford FD. 'Please remember not to drive through flooded roadways. Turn around, Don't drown.' – BFD No injuries have currently been reported. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Dauphin Island Regatta tragedy: Weather's lasting impact on annual event 10 years later
A U.S. Coast Guard boat, top right, patrols Mobile Bay as other water craft head head south from Dauphin Island, Ala., Sunday, April 26, 2015. Coast Guard crews searched for five people missing in the water after a powerful storm capsized several sailboats participating in a regatta near Mobile Bay. (AP Photo/G.M. Andrews) On the morning of April 25, 2015, the Annual Dauphin Island Regatta was underway in Mobile Bay along the Alabama coast. A total of 117 boats with 476 people set out for the 18-mile race at 10:45 a.m., but the outing turned into a deadly disaster when severe weather struck. The race started out in fair weather. However, by 3:30 p.m., severe thunderstorms with winds in excess of 73 mph and large swells of 8-10 feet swept across the bay, sinking eight boats and killing six people. A total of 40 people were rescued. A radar loop from 3:30 to 4:00 p.m. on April 25, 2015. The location of the regatta is shown as the red square in Mobile Bay. The Coast Guard's report on the tragedy was completed in 2016 and released in 2019. The severe weather was listed as the main cause of the deadly accident, but there were exacerbating factors. The report indicated that the race committee didn't immediately notify racers of incoming severe weather, and people on the boats were not monitoring communications properly to receive those warnings. It also said that all crewmembers failed to wear PFDs (Personal Flotation Devices). Some underestimated the severity of the weather, the report said, which was forecast by the National Weather Service prior to the race's beginning. Recommendations from the report included ordering the U.S. Sailing Association to amend its racing rules to require all crewmembers to wear PFDs and requiring race skippers to have a handheld VHF radio in their person for effective communication.
