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- Captain John Boisa told police the Volare was on autopilot when it began to overturn.
- Officials said the Volare hit by a ‘rogue wave,’ rolled starboard and shifted its weight.
- Three people died and one remained missing after the July 14 capsizing near Alcatraz.
The captain of a boat that capsized last month in the San Francisco Bay told police the cabin cruiser had been on autopilot when it began to overturn, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
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Carol Boisa, 74, and Tondra Madruga, 58, both of Sacramento County, were on the Volare cabin cruiser when it capsized on July 14 near Alcatraz Island. They both died along with 79-year-old Clifford Boisa, a retired reserve deputy who served with the Sutter County Sheriff’s Office who was rescued from the water by first responders but died later from his injuries.
Jackie Boisa, Clifford Boisa’s wife, also was on the boat that day and remains missing. Carol and Clifford Boisa were the sibilings of the boat’s owner and operator, John Boisa, who was among the 16 survivors.
The Chronicle obtained documents related to the San Francisco police investigation. Police officials have released few details about what may have caused the 49-foot cabin cruiser to capsize with 20 people on board.
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The documents show portions of a police interview with the boat’s captain, John Boisa, who told police the Volare was on autopilot when it hit what officials described as a “rogue wave,” rolling the vessel starboard and shifting its weight, the Chronicle reported.
The boat passengers reportedly began to panic, jumping or falling overboard as the boat began to sink. Others, including the individuals who died, were believed to be trapped inside the boat’s cabin.
The Chronicle reported that Boisa has not yet spoken publicly about the circumstances that led to the boat’s capsizing, and he declined to comment when reached by phone on Wednesday, except to say that he was fully cooperating in the investigation. Boating experts said it’s common for operators to use autopilot when a boat is traveling in a straight line in open waters, as the Volare was doing on July 14, the day it sank.
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