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At least six dead after boat capsizes in Lake Tahoe storm

The hull of a capsized boat rises just above the water near a rocky shore in Lake Tahoe.
(United States Coast Guard)

At least six people are dead and two remain missing after a boat capsized on Lake Tahoe on Saturday afternoon amid gusty winds and large swells, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

A Coast Guard news release said the vessel, a 27-foot gold Chris-Craft, overturned near D.L. Bliss State Park in stormy conditions that generated 30-knot winds and 6-to-8-foot swells.

The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the scene, saying in a news release that it was informed of the situation just before 5 p.m. Saturday and that callers reported seeing 10 people in the water. Emergency response teams rescued two people who were transported to a hospital, and recovered the bodies of six people who had died, according to the release. The names of the dead were not released, pending notification of kin.

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Rescue operations continued Sunday for two people who remain unaccounted for, sheriff’s officials said.

Sacramento TV news station KCRA 3 captured video of boats rocking violently in South Lake Tahoe on Saturday as heavy thunderstorms pelted the area. The storms also left an early summer dusting of snow in area mountains, the Sacramento Bee reported.

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