The wreckage of a cabin cruiser that capsized and sank in the San Francisco Bay near Alcatraz Island on Tuesday has been located with assistance from sonar imaging technology. Authorities say the next step in the process is to evaluate whether the vessel can be raised for further examination.

As ABC 7 reports, an image closely resembling the shape of the 49-foot Volare reveals the vessel is now likely resting more than 120 feet underwater on a rocky seabed. Unfortunately, owing to unique challenges that include "vessel traffic, strong tidal currents and limited periods of slack tide," returning the Volare to the surface won't be easy.

David McMurdie of California Recovery Divers told ABC 7 that the rescue and recovery efforts related to the Volare's sinking are among "the most complex operations I have ever seen." As SFist previously reported, the privately-owned boat tragically capsized and sunk on Tuesday afternoon with 20 adult passengers aboard after encountering rough seas on the San Francisco Bay.

Gathered for a celebration of life ceremony, the vessel was largely filled with the family and friends of Captain John Boisa, 62, of Stockton. A seasoned skipper, SFist reports Boisa had successfully taken the Volare down to San Diego only a year prior. While heroic efforts from passerby and emergency services allowed for the rescue of 16 passengers, two victims are confirmed dead while another two remain missing.

Following the identification of 79-year-old Sutter County resident Clifford Boisa as the sinking's first casualty, a body found floating nearing Treasure Island on Thursday afternoon has since been identified as 58-year-old Tondra Miller, aka Tondra Madruga. Two women in the Boisa family — Clifford's wife, Jackie, and sister, Carol — remain unaccounted for but are also feared dead.

Witnesses to the sinking reported seeing people "pounding on glass windows" as the boat went under, per ABC 7, leaving the grim possibility that the missing women may only be found if and when the Volare can be recovered and returned to shore.

Related: Owner Had Taken Capsized Boat on Open Ocean to San Diego

Image: Photo of the Volare taken by its owner in January 2025 (John Boisa/VesselFinder)