5 Die, 1 Missing After Boat Loses Power, Capsizes in San Pablo Bay

RICHMOND, Calif. — Five people died and two were hospitalized Saturday after a boat capsized in San Pablo Bay, the U.S. Coast Guard said. One person was missing.

The bodies of an adult male and four boys--two 8-year-olds, a 3-year-old and an 18-month-old--were pulled from the chilly waters near the mouth of the Petaluma River, Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Ron Cabral said.

Their identities were not released.

Two of the eight passengers on the 14-foot boat, a woman and a girl, were rescued Saturday morning, said Lance Jones, a Coast Guard chief warrant officer.

The survivors were identified as Janet McHugh, 23, of Petaluma and Stephanie Sherwood, 10, Jones said.

A passing boater found McHugh hanging onto a buoy about 6 a.m., Cabral said. McHugh told officials that the boat, which was headed for San Rafael, lost power and capsized when it was hit by a wave.

Sherwood was found about 8 a.m. floating in a life preserver near the San Rafael Bridge, Cabral said. She was treated for mild hypothermia at Peninsula Hospital in Burlingame and was in stable condition Saturday afternoon, a hospital spokeswoman said.

The Contra Costa County coroner’s office did not announce a cause of death. However, officials said they believed all victims were wearing life vests and possibly died of exposure to the cold bay waters.