The National Transportation Safety Board has released its preliminary report on a deadly Lake Tahoe boat accident last month.
The report was released Wednesday, just over a month after the June 21 accident on the western side of the lake near D.L. Bliss State Park. It includes details about the vessel’s final trip, sudden stormy weather conditions and what happened to the 10 people aboard, including details provided by a survivor. No names are included in the preliminary report.
The accident was one of the deadliest on Lake Tahoe in recent years. The Associated Press reports four members of a Northern California family were killed while celebrating a birthday — Josh Pickles, 37, of San Francisco, his parents Terry Pickles, 73 and Paula Bozinovich, 71 of Redwood City and his uncle Peter Bayes, 72 of Lincoln.
The other victims were identified as Timothy O’Leary, 71 of Auburn; Theresa Giullari, 66 and James Guck, 69 of Honeoye, New York; and Stephen Lindsay, 63 of Springwater, New York.
The NTSB says toxicology results for the victims are pending, and that its investigation is ongoing. The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office is conducting a parallel investigation.
Timeline of the accident
The vessel involved was the 28-foot-long Over the Moon. According to the NTSB, the boat launched from Tahoe City the morning of the accident with four people on board, two of whom were the vessel’s registered owners. Six others were picked up at a marina before the vessel traveled to Emerald Bay.
The recovered vessel, Over the Moon.Courtesy of the National Transportation Safety Board
The report noted weather conditions at the time included clear skies and light winds, no marine warnings or advisories for Lake Tahoe, and only a slight chance of thunderstorms in the forecast. However, conditions changed throughout the afternoon.
“Sometime before 1400, the clouds increased, and the operator decided to return to the marina where he had picked up the passengers,” the report said. “However, after getting underway, the winds, rain, and waves increased, and he decided to return to Emerald Bay. After about 10 minutes, the operator made a second attempt to return to the marina.”
On Sunday, June 22, 2025, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) Search and Rescue Unit responded to a request for assistance from the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office in the continued search for two missing victims.Courtesy of the Washoe County Sheriff's Office
Survivor recalls worsening conditions
The NTSB said a survivor told investigators that two-to-three-foot waves were splashing into the boat, “but no water was accumulating on the deck.” They later recalled seeing “marble-sized hail” landing in the boat and wave heights increasing to 8-10 feet. Some of those waves broke over the sides and bow of the Over the Moon, water began to accumulate and the boat’s bilge pumps were activated.
The NTSB said nearby camera footage showed weather conditions continued to deteriorate with heavy rain, mixed freezing precipitation and eventually snow. Nearby weather stations recorded 14-knot winds with peak speeds of 34 knots, and the lake’s water temperature was 54 degrees Fahrenheit.
The report says the boat’s engine failed 50-100 yards offshore, and the passengers began trying to bail out water as it began to list. Investigators say one of the survivors put on a personal flotation device (PFD) or life jacket, “and distributed PFDs to everyone else in the boat.”
“No one else immediately donned their PFD,” the report said. The Over the Moon capsized shortly afterwards, around 2:57 p.m. No distress call was issued.
Bodies recovered without life jackets
The NTSB said the accident was seen by a group of hikers, who called 911. Responding emergency services reported waves as high as eight feet.
Six bodies were recovered from the scene, including one person identified as the boat’s operator, along with the two survivors. Investigators said “[n]one of the six were wearing PFDs,” while one survivor was wearing a life jacket and the other was “clinging to a PFD.”
The storm cleared as suddenly as it began, with snow stopping just after 4 p.m. and “cloudless skies” returning around 5:25 p.m.
The other two bodies were recovered from the bottom of Lake Tahoe the following day. “Four PFDs and one life ring, all from the vessel, were recovered from the accident site,” investigators noted.
The boat was recovered June 22. NTSB teams, “did not find any evidence of a hull leak, grounding, or contact with an object.” Additional life jackets, including some still in their packaging, were also found on board.
The NTSB has named the boat’s builders, Winnebago Industries and Chris-Craft Corporation, as part of their investigation. In addition to the survivor, investigators also spoke with witnesses, a lifeguard, salvage company personnel and people responsible for stowing, launching and recovering the Over the Moon.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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