6 rescued by Coast Guard after boat catches fire, sinks in Lake Tahoe, Placer sheriff says

Six people aboard a motorboat in Lake Tahoe were rescued Sunday by the U.S. Coast Guard after the vessel caught fire and sank.

Placer County deputies were alerted to the fire about 1:50 p.m. near Cedar Flat, an unincorporated community on Lake Tahoe’s northwest shore. Deputies arrived to the boat — traditionally used for wakeboarding or wake surfing — fully engulfed in flames as heavy smoke billowed across the waters.

The passengers aboard were “safe with no major injuries,” the Sheriff’s Office said.

Deputies and firefighters with the North Tahoe Fire Protection District sprayed water onto the boat, but its hull suffered too much damage and sank, deputies said on social media. The boat was recovered on Tuesday.

The incident remains under investigation, deputies said.

This story was originally published June 10, 2024 at 8:23 AM.