A total of eight people died after a boat capsized on Lake Tahoe, one of the victims being a DoorDash executive who was celebrating his mother’s birthday, according to PEOPLE. Unfortunately, his two parents also died in the accident on Saturday, June 21.
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4 Family Members, Including DoorDash Executive, Celebrating Birthday Before Boat Capsized And Killed Them
The US Coast Guard revealed that the victims were aboard a 27-foot gold Chris-Craft vessel. Allegedly, a large swell caused the watercraft to capsize, pulling 10 people into the water.
A rescue team responded to the incident around 3 PM to immediately find six people deceased. They brought two to the hospital and were searching for two other missing individuals. By now, the death toll has risen to eight people, while two have survived.
The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office identified four of the victims as belonging to one family. One individual was DoorDash executive Joshua Pickles. His wife, Jordan Sugar-Carlsgaard, spoke to the outlet about the other three deaths. Her husband’s parents, 73-year-old Terry Pickles and 71-year-old Paula Bozinovich, as well as his uncle, 72-year-old Peter Bayes, died.
“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,” said Jordan. “Our hearts go out to those who tragically lost their lives and the two survivors of this unexpected and deadly storm on Lake Tahoe.”
According to a family spokesperson, Sam Singer, family and friends were aboard Joshua’s boat to celebrate Paula’s birthday, via Associated Press. The executive had just purchased the watercraft a year ago. They had allegedly only used their boat twice before the incident.
Jordan wasn’t on the boat as she was staying home, taking care of their 7-month-old daughter. The couple had married in 2023, and both worked at San Francisco tech companies. They would often split time between their homes in Lake Tahoe and the Bay Area.
Singer also explained how the boat managed to capsize. “The waves were so big that the water came onboard and started to fill the boat up and stalled the engine.” The thunderstorm was much more intense than predicted, leading to the wave swells.
In response to the tragedy, the Chief Financial Officer for DoorDash, Ravi Inukonda, made a statement. “Josh loved his team and was an inspiration to everyone who had the privilege of knowing him,” said Inukonda. “Our thoughts and love are with his wife, his daughter, his family, and all who were close to him.”