Deadly Lake Tahoe boating accident kills DoorDash executive, family

A powerboat capsized on Lake Tahoe, California, killing eight of 10 people on board, including an executive with DoorDash.

The coroner division at the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office said Josh Pickles, 37, was the youngest victim. He was a senior director at DoorDash, The New York Times reported.

The company’s Chief Financial Officer, Ravi Inukonda, released a statement to USA Today, which read, "We are heartbroken by the tragic accident that took the life of our beloved colleague, Josh Pickles.

“Josh loved his team and was an inspiration to everyone who had the privilege of knowing him. During his nearly seven years at DoorDash, he brought a contagious spirit that lifted those around him. The loss of Josh is immeasurable. We miss him deeply and will carry his memory with us always. Our thoughts and love are with his wife, his daughter, his family, and all who were close to him. We are working to support them through this incredibly difficult time.”

Along with Pickles, the other victims ranged in age from 63 to 73 years old and were from California or New York.

Pickles’ father and mother were also killed, The Washington Post reported.

Ten people were on the 27-foot watercraft on June 21 when a storm churned up 8-foot swells, capsizing the boat, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

They had been celebrating the birthday of one of the people in the group, KQED reported.

The National Weather Service had issued a wind advisory for the neighboring county, but the severity of the lake’s weather conditions was worse than predicted, The Associated Press reported.

It is not known if any of those on board were wearing life jackets.

Six of those killed were recovered on Saturday afternoon, while the seventh person’s remains were recovered on Sunday and the final person was found on Monday.

Operations manager at Tahoe Sportsfishing, Zach Shearer, told the Post, the storm came “up out of nowhere so fast,” and that it was a mix of wind and snow.

“The big thing was the wind and how it shifted, and how it really wasn’t in the forecast,” he said, adding, “It was bad.”

The New York Times said the cold air came from the Gulf of Alaska and had gusts of 80 to 100 miles per hour.

One of Shearer’s boats had to ride out the storm, but the rest were able to get back to shore.

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