The skies were as blue as the famous waters of Lake Tahoe when Gloria Brigantino and her friends decided to anchor and get a rum cocktail. It was starting to feel chilly, and winds were picking up.
On shore, a band was playing, and people were swimming - children running around in their swimsuits as the first official weekend of summer kicked off in this popular California holiday spot.
It seemed that within minutes on Saturday that everything changed. A storm moved in, sending tents and canopies flying. White-capped water and 8ft (2.5m) swells caused multiple boats to capsize, including a 27ft vessel filled with tourists.
On Monday, officials confirmed two more people aboard that boat were found dead - bringing the death toll to eight.
Ms Brigantino, who was visiting the popular alpine lake between California and Nevada with friends from Texas and California, watched as boats crashed into each other, ripping from their anchors and smashing onto shore. The howling winds that reached 35mph (56km/h) even brought in a brief snow.
