Eight people were tragically killed after a boat capsized on Lake Tahoe amid a freak thunderstorm on Saturday.
A thunderstorm that popped up over the lake created gusty winds and massive waves as family and friends celebrated a tech executive’s mother’s 71st birthday aboard a boat.
The 8-foot waves capsized the boat, sending the 10 people on board into the dangerous waters.
Eight people died, and two miraculously survived.
One of the victims was identified as DoorDash executive Joshua Pickles. He is survived by his wife, Jordan Sugar-Caarslgad, and his 7-month-old daughter.
Gut wrenching. @DoorDash exec Joshua Pickles among 8 people who died when boat capsized on Lake Tahoe. Wife (@Airbnb EA Jordan Sugar-Caarslgard) stayed on shore w/ their 7-month old daughter. Pickles’ parents, uncle and friends also died. Full story: https://t.co/Sap3Q64JjM pic.twitter.com/NPvIG25wJg
— Raj Mathai (@rajmathai) June 24, 2025
SFGATE reported:
Eight people died in a tragic boat accident on Lake Tahoe during a sudden, harrowing storm on Saturday afternoon. Four were family members who lived in Northern California. They were joined by friends, some of whom had traveled across the country, to celebrate a birthday when their boat capsized near D.L. Bliss State Park on Tahoe’s West Shore. Of the 10 people on board, two survived.
The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office has now released the identities of the victims who died Saturday. Paula Bozinovich, from Redwood City, was celebrating her 71st birthday with her husband, Terry Pickles, 73, and their son, Joshua Antony Pickles, 37, a tech executive from San Francisco. Joshua’s uncle, Peter Bayes, 72, from Lincoln, was also on board. Friends of the family who died Saturday were Timothy O’Leary, 71, from Auburn, Theresa Giullari, 66, and James Guck, 69, both of Honeoye, New York, and Stephen Lindsay, 63, from Springwater, New York.
The two survivors were taken to a local hospital. As of Tuesday afternoon, Sgt. Kyle Parker, spokesperson for the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, did not have an update on the condition of the survivors.
WATCH:
