One person has died, three people are missing, and 16 others were saved by authorities after a three-deck pontoon vessel sank off the coast of Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay on Tuesday, US officials said. A dog also died in the capsizing.
The island is home to a famous former Alcatraz federal prison, which now serves as a tourist destination. The prison was notorious for being inescapable due to the strong ocean currents and cold Pacific waters that surround it.
Alcatraz Island is about 1 mile off the shore (1.6 km) in the bay.
Multi-pronged search effort underway
Search and rescue teams were looking for the missing people throughout the night.It's one of the worst San Francisco boat tragedies in yearsImage: Noah Berger/AP Photo/picture alliance
