A fourth man was on a speedboat that capsized in Folsom Lake on Saturday afternoon and is likely dead, authorities said, making the crash one of the deadliest in the lake\u2019s history.<\/p>\n
Efforts to find the men turned up nothing Sunday. Officials called off the search in the early afternoon because of high winds.<\/p>\n
State Parks officials identified the men as Toby Strauch, 54; James Strauch, 47; Jake Jacobs, 53; and Jon Smith, 48. Authorities said that all lived in the Sacramento region but did not specify their hometowns.<\/p>\n
Investigators aren\u2019t sure what caused the accident. When park rangers arrived at about 1:45 p.m. Saturday, they found a 40-foot speedboat capsized. They\u2019ve been searching for the men ever since. Determining the cause of the accident has been a secondary priority, said Folsom Lake State Recreation Area Superintendent Richard Preston.<\/p>\n
Witnesses initially said three men were on the boat, but authorities later confirmed the boat had four passengers.<\/p>\n
Officials now seek to recover, instead of rescue.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is probably the single most fatalities in my time doing this,\u201d Preston said, who has worked at the lake more than 10 years.<\/p>\n
Boating accidents happen frequently on Folsom Lake, but deaths are rare. About 30 accidents occurred in 2011 and 2012 at Folsom Lake, according to the latest state data, with 25 injuries and one death.<\/p>\n
More than 25 rangers, emergency workers and divers scoured the lake for the men Sunday, the second consecutive day when wind hampered their efforts.<\/p>\n
Whitecaps chopped the surface of Folsom Lake as teams struggled to hold their boats steady enough to search for the missing men. The craft used anchors weighing as much as 60 pounds, and were still unable to hold their positions.<\/p>\n
More at SacBee.com<\/a> >>><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A fourth man was on a speedboat that capsized in Folsom Lake on Saturday afternoon and is likely dead, authorities said, making the crash one of the deadliest in the lake\u2019s history. Efforts to find the men turned up nothing Sunday. Officials called off the search in the early afternoon because of high winds. State … Continue reading Fourth Man Believed Dead In Folsom Lake Speedboat Wreck<\/span>