A fun day on Lake Tahoe turned deadly on June 21, 2025, when a 27-foot Chris-Craft boat flipped over during an unexpected storm, killing eight passengers. The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office identified the victims on June 24 after a grueling search near D.L. Bliss State Park. The incident serves as a stark reminder of how quickly nature can turn dangerous for outdoor adventurers.
The victims included Joshua Antony Pickles, a 37-year-old DoorDash executive from San Francisco, and his parents, Paula Bozinovich, 71, and Terry Pickles, 73, from Redwood City. Also lost were Peter Bayes, 72, of Lincoln; 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. Their loss has left families and friends heartbroken.
Of the ten people on board, only two survived, though their names remain private. The search ended on June 23 when the last missing person was recovered. Investigators say a sudden storm brought fierce winds and rough waves, likely causing the boat to overturn. The rapid shift in weather caught the group off guard, highlighting the unpredictability of lake conditions.
The Sheriff’s Office offered condolences to those grieving and thanked agencies like the U.S. Coast Guard and California State Parks for their help in the recovery effort. The Tahoe community is mourning, and the tragedy has sparked calls for greater caution on the water. As summer storms become more erratic, officials urge boaters to check weather forecasts and stay prepared to keep such heartbreaking losses from happening again.
