The victims of a tragic boat capsizing at Lake Tahoe have been named. The deceased include Joshua Antony Pickles, 37, his parents Terry Pickles, 73, and Paula Bozinovich, 71, as well as uncle Peter Bayes, 72, and friends Timothy O’Leary, 71, Theresa Giullari, 66, James Guck, 69, and Stephen Lindsay, 63.
The group was celebrating Bozinovich’s birthday on Pickles’ new boat when a sudden storm struck, causing the vessel to capsize. Ten people fell into the water; only two survived. Winds reached 35mph and waves swelled to over eight feet, according to the National Weather Service.
Witness Gloria Brigantino described the scene: 'The water was just screaming towards the shore. Some owners were crying as their boats were wrecked. I could smell gas leaking.' The storm passed within an hour, leaving sunny skies and calm waters.
Joshua Pickles worked as an executive at DoorDash, which expressed its grief: 'The loss of Josh is immeasurable. We miss him deeply and will carry his memory with us always.' His wife, Jordan Sugar-Carlsgaard, said: 'No words can express the pain and anguish we feel.'
The Coast Guard urged mariners to wear life jackets, check weather, file a float plan, and carry a VHF radio. The incident echoes last summer’s Bayesian superyacht sinking off Sicily, which killed six in a similar freak storm.
