2 Missing Victims Identified After 49-Foot Volare Capsized in San Francisco Bay

Q: When a rescue search ends, what advanced technology can find those trapped in a sunken vessel deep in treacherous waters?

The most effective tools after a rescue search ends are sonar-guided underwater drones — especially remotely operated vehicles, or ROVs, and autonomous underwater vehicles, or AUVs. In a case like the Volare, where the wreck sits in strong currents on a rocky seabed and may be deeper than divers can safely reach, investigators typically begin with side-scan or multibeam sonar to map the bottom and confirm the boat’s position and orientation. AUVs are useful for sweeping large areas quickly and producing detailed images of the wreck site even in dark, murky water. Once the vessel is located, an ROV becomes the key tool. Tethered to a surface crew and controlled in real time, it carries high-resolution cameras, lights and imaging sonar, allowing operators to inspect the hull, windows and entry points without sending divers into hazardous conditions. Smaller inspection-class ROVs can sometimes look into cabins or flooded compartments if openings allow, helping determine whether anyone was trapped inside. That aligns with what San Francisco authorities said they planned to use here: an underwater drone to assess the wreck after the Coast Guard suspended its search. If recovery moves forward, heavier salvage equipment may follow, but the immediate technology for finding victims in deep, treacherous water is sonar-backed robotic search systems, not human divers.

3 articles · Updated · NBC Bay Area · Jul 16

Carol Boisa and Jackie Boisa were identified by relatives as two of the three people still missing after the 49-foot cabin cruiser Volare sank near Alcatraz on Tuesday.
A wave struck the boat and it quickly took on water, according to people onboard; witnesses said some passengers appeared trapped inside, pounding on windows as it went down.
Clifford Boisa was the first confirmed dead after being rescued with 16 others and dying minutes later; the third missing person is a family friend whose identity has not been released.
U.S. Coast Guard crews searched more than 814 square miles before suspending the operation late Wednesday pending further developments, though officials have located the wreck site.