Survivors of the June storm that tragically claimed eight lives on Lake Tahoe are sharing their experiences of the sudden weather event that sank several boats at the popular tourist destination.
The storm struck rapidly on Saturday, June 21, catching many visitors by surprise. The morning had started quietly, but a 27-foot gold Chris-Craft boat capsized “due to a large swell,” the U.S. Coast Guard previously reported. Two people aboard that vessel survived, as did others nearby.
Speaking with The New York Times, Kristofer Kierce, who runs a local boat salvage company, described being stunned by the scene, which included multiple sunken boats.
“We were in awe,” Kierce said. “It was like a hurricane had come through.”
A bachelorette party was among those caught in the dangerous storm. Judith Saldivar, 30, was on a pontoon boat in Emerald Bay with five friends when the weather turned severe.
“In minutes, it turned from still water to ocean-like conditions,” she recalled.
The day began with calm weather. Retired TV meteorologist Mark Finan told the Times that computer models only started picking up the possibility of thunderstorms and snow on Saturday morning.
Eventually, the storms rolled in, and temperatures dropped sharply. The National Weather Service previously reported wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph, with temperatures falling 15 to 25 degrees below normal.
At the time the 27-foot boat, called Over the Moon, capsized, the Coast Guard said winds were around 30 knots and swells were 6 to 8 feet high. The newspaper noted that the only survivors were wearing life jackets.
The eight victims included DoorDash executive Joshua Antony Pickles, 37; his parents Terry Pickles, 73, and Paula Bozinovich, 71; his uncle Peter Bayes, 72; and friends Timothy O’Leary, 71, Theresa Giullari, 66, James Guck, 69, and Stephen Lindsay, 63, according to a statement from Joshua’s wife, previously obtained by PEOPLE.
“No words can express the pain and anguish we feel knowing their lives were lost during what was meant to be a joyful time on the lake,” Jordan Sugar-Carlsgaard said through a family spokesperson. “Our hearts go out to those who tragically lost their lives and the two survivors of this unexpected and deadly storm on Lake Tahoe.”
