Lake Tahoe boat capsizing that killed 8 was a birthday outing turned tragedy
The Lake Tahoe boating accident that killed eight people Saturday began with a DoorDash executive’s plan to celebrate his mother’s 71st birthday with family and close friends.
The 37-year-old San Francisco executive and new father, Joshua Pickles; his parents, Paula Bozinovich and Terry Pickles of Redwood City; and five others died after a thunderstorm swept water into the Chris-Craft vessel’s engine, a spokesperson for Joshua Pickles’ widow said. Two people survived the capsizing offshore from D.L. Bliss State Park.
On Tuesday morning, the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office released the names of the victims. The five other people who died were Joshua Pickles’ uncle, Peter Bayes, 72, of Lincoln; Timothy O’Leary, 66, of Auburn; Stephen Lindsay, 63, of Springwater, New York; and Theresa Giullari, 66, and James Guck, 69, of Honeoye, New York.
“No words can express the pain and anguish we feel knowing their lives were lost during what was meant to be a joyful time on the lake,” Pickles’ widow, Jordan Sugar-Carlsgaard, said in a statement. “Our hearts go out to those who tragically lost their lives and the two survivors of this unexpected and deadly storm on Lake Tahoe.”
Sam Singer, the widow’s spokesperson, said that Sugar-Carlsgaard stayed home from the boat excursion to care for the couple’s 7-month-old daughter. A wedding registry website shows the two married in August 2023.
Pickles and Sugar-Carlsgaard owned a second home in the Lake Tahoe area and bought the boat less than a year ago, Singer said. Saturday was the 27-foot boat’s first outing on the water this year.
When the Chris-Craft vessel capsized at about 3 p.m. near Rubicon Point in the southwest part of the lake, the waves were up to 8 feet tall, and gusts of wind measured on a nearby weather station reached 45 mph. Meteorologists later said the harsh conditions resulted from the convergence of an unseasonal cold front and thunderstorms, which caused strong, hard-to-predict gusts.
Six of the boaters were quickly pronounced dead by first responders. A search-and-rescue effort led to the recovery of the remaining two victims on Sunday evening and Monday afternoon, according to the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office.
One woman survived the capsizing by swimming to shore, and the other was rescued by a California State Parks lifeguard, agency spokesperson Adeline Yee said. Authorities have not released their names or their condition after arriving at a hospital.
Joshua Pickles worked at DoorDash as the global head of strategic sourcing and procurement, company spokesperson Julian Crowley confirmed.
“Josh loved his team and was an inspiration to everyone who had the privilege of knowing him,” the company’s chief financial officer, Ravi Inukonda, said in a statement. “During his nearly seven years at DoorDash, he brought a contagious spirit that lifted those around him.”
It is not clear whether the victims of Saturday’s capsizing were wearing life jackets, but data show that a large majority of people who die while boating in the state are not. The California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways said that in 2023, there were 412 boating accidents, which caused 171 injuries and 32 deaths. These incidents were concentrated in the summer months and on weekends. At least two-thirds of victims who died were not wearing a life jacket.
Lake Tahoe boat crash victims included lively seniors
Friends and family of several victims mourned the deaths on social media.
People who knew Bozinovich remembered a sweet woman who valued good work and good humor. Randy Tabing wrote on Facebook, “Paula was always such a light.” She and Terry Pickles loved their dogs and were the caretakers of multiple Rottweilers. Bozinovich had called them her “four-legged kids.”
Giullari and Guck, who lived in New York’s Finger Lakes region, were “enjoying retirement and living life to the fullest,” Sharon Mawn McCarthy wrote on Facebook. Cathy Christ, another friend, said that they were “a fun, happy couple.”
Facebook posts show that O’Leary lived in Auburn with his wife, Janet Tarantino. Their neighbor raised cattle, and O’Leary delighted in the enormous livestock who scoped him out through the fence. He was a lover of classic cars and a bit of a jokester. On Nov. 27, 2023, he logged onto Facebook and posted a photo of five turkeys, commenting that they must be “relieved they made it through another Thanksgiving.”
Diane Lindsay wrote on Facebook that Stephen Lindsay was her brother. She called him “Zippy.”
“There are no words to describe the numbness and heartbreak that my family is feeling from the tragic boating accident,” she said. “The hole in our hearts will never be made full again. My brother was the most amazing person. We cannot stop crying. We miss him so much!”
Colleen Lindsay, another relative of Stephen’s, wrote, “If you met him you were graced with one hell of a guy.”
She also said on Monday, “I’m thankful everyone (has) been found. You are all together now and you’re at peace with the Lord.”
This story was originally published June 24, 2025 at 3:31 PM.
