Peter Bayes dies in fatal Lake Tahoe boat accident
Fatal Lake Tahoe boat accident death of Peter Bayes
Peter Bayes, 72, of Lincoln, California, has been identified among the eight individuals who tragically lost their lives in a boating incident on Lake Tahoe on June 21, according to the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office Coroner.
The accident took place near D.L. Bliss State Park when a sudden and severe storm capsized a boat carrying ten people. Bayes was one of the victims recovered after powerful waves, estimated to be as high as eight feet, struck the vessel.
Initially, authorities located six victims and rescued two survivors who were taken to a nearby hospital. Bayes and another missing passenger were found during the continuation of search operations on Sunday evening and Monday.
Other victims in the deadly capsizing included Paula Bozinovich, Terry Pickles, Joshua Pickles, James Guck, Stephen Lindsay, Timothy O’Leary, and Theresa Giullari.
South Lake Tahoe Mayor Tamara Wallace described the storm as extremely intense, saying that in her 28 years of living there she had never witnessed such rapid and destructive weather.
Meteorologist Chris Smallcomb from the National Weather Service in Reno explained that while sudden storms in the Sierra are not unheard of, the one that struck delivered unexpected wind gusts of up to 45 mph.
Eyewitness video from the lake showed boats colliding with docks and each other as the storm swept through the area. Officials emphasized that the unpredictability and speed of the storm left little time for those aboard to return safely to shore.
This event remains one of the most devastating boating disasters in Lake Tahoe’s recent history, turning a leisurely outing into a heart-wrenching tragedy.
