SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — Moments before 10-foot waves capsized a 28-foot powerboat during a sudden storm on Lake Tahoe, a passenger grabbed a life jacket and began handing them to the others. She was the only one wearing a life jacket when the boat overturned on June 21, plunging all 10 people into the water and killing eight.

The National Transportation Safety Board on Wednesday released new findings from its investigation, which includes interviews with a survivor, first responders and those involved in recovering the vessel.

Timeline of events as documented by NTSB

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Over the Moon launched from a boat ramp in Tahoe City at about 10:40 a.m. Four adults were initially on board, two of whom were the boat’s registered owners. One of the owners was the sole operator.

The operator drove the vessel to two nearby marinas, where six additional adults boarded at the second stop.

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At 11:58 a.m., the boat traveled to Emerald Bay, a sheltered area on the west shore popular with boaters. There, the vessel anchored for about one and a half hours.

At the time, weather conditions were reported as clear skies, light southerly winds and an air temperature of 54 degrees, according to the NTSB.

The National Weather Service had issued no marine warnings or small craft advisories for Lake Tahoe that day, although the local forecast indicated a slight chance of thunderstorms.

Weather conditions shift suddenly

Shortly before 2 p.m., clouds began to build, and the operator decided to return to the marina where he had picked up the passengers. After getting underway, the winds, rain and waves intensified, prompting him to turn back toward Emerald Bay.

After about 10 minutes, he made a second attempt to return to the marina.

One survivor told investigators that, once the boat was away from Emerald Bay, two-to-three foot waves began splashing into the vessel amid pouring rain, although no water was initially accumulating on deck.

As winds increased, the survivor reported marble-sized hail collecting inside the vessel, with waves reached up to 10 feet high. She recalled that some waves broke over the bow and sides, and about an inch of water pooled on the deck. The operator turned on the boat’s bilge pumps.

Conditions worsen on the water

At about 2:36 p.m., time-lapse footage from a camera 1.5 nautical miles (1.7 miles) south of the accident site showed whitecaps on the lake and low clouds moving from north to south.

At 2:45 p.m., the footage showed blowing rain and mixed freezing precipitation. 

By 2:49 p.m., snow was visible in the footage.

At 2:53 p.m., the nearest automated weather station — located about 7 nautical miles southeast of the site — recorded sustained winds from the north at 16 mph, with peak gusts near 40 mph. 

At some point, with the vessel between 50 and 100 yards offshore, Over the Moon’s engine failed. The boat turned broadside to the waves and began taking on water. Some passengers attempted to bail out water manually.

The vessel listed to starboard, submerging the starboard aft corner. The NTSB said a “particularly large wave” overtook the boat, causing additional water to enter.

One survivor put on a life jacket and passed out others to the group, but the NTSB said no one else immediately put one on.

Shortly afterward, the boat rolled to starboard, and all 10 passengers entered the water. The survivor recalled that it began snowing while they were in the lake. No distress calls were made from the boat.

Rescue and recovery

At 2:57 p.m., a group of hikers witnessed a large wave wash over the vessel, causing it to capsize. 

At 2:58 p.m., one of the hikers called 911.

Another hiker and a California State Parks lifeguard helped recover the two survivors from the water. Multiple agencies responded, including paramedics and a sheriff’s marine unit, which reported 8-foot waves in the area.

Eight people were recovered, including the two survivors. 

Six individuals — one of them the boat operator — were pronounced dead at the scene, some after CPR efforts. None of the six were wearing life jackets.

Of the two survivors, one was wearing a life jacket and the other was clinging to a personal flotation device. Both were transported to a hospital for treatment. 

The remaining two victims were recovered from the lake bottom near the accident site the following day.

Four life jackets and one life ring, all from the boat, were also recovered.

By 4:05 p.m., the snow had stopped and skies began to clear, becoming cloudless by 5:25 p.m.

The following day

On the afternoon of June 22, the U.S. Coast Guard declared the incident a major marine casualty.

That day, a salvage company recovered the vessel, which was examined by Coast Guard and NTSB investigators along with representatives from related parties.

Investigators found no evidence of a hull leak, grounding or collision. On board, they found one life jacket still in its original packaging with tags, one infant life vest still in its packaging, an unzipped life vest stowage bag, and five inflatable personal flotation devices stored in compartments.

Electronic systems with potential internal memory were recovered and sent to the NTSB lab for analysis. The vessel’s two bilge pumps and engine fuel filter were also retained for further examination.

Toxicology results for the deceased are pending, the NTSB said.

About the vessel

Valued at $393,000, Over the Moon was a privately owned, California-registered Chris-Craft Launch 28 GT built in 2023. The 28-foot powerboat featured a fiberglass-reinforced plastic hull and was powered by an eight-cylinder, 6.2-liter, 430-horsepower Volvo Penta direct-injection gasoline engine. It had seating for up to 12 people and was equipped with two automatic bilge pumps capable of moving 1,100 gallons per hour each.