Mother is named as second victim of San Francisco boat sinking as family gathered to scatter loved one's ashes, with two other bodies believed to remain trapped in hull

By WILKO MARTÍNEZ-CACHERO, US REPORTER Published: 16:20, 17 July 2026 | Updated: 16:21, 17 July 2026 A California mother was named as the second victim of a freak San Francisco boat accident, while authorities continue searching for two bodies possibly trapped in the vessel's hull. Tondra Miller, 58, was identified Thursday as the second person who died when a 49–foot boat with 20 people on board capsized in fast–moving waters near Alcatraz Island on Tuesday, according to the San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The medical examiner's office told The Daily Mail on Friday that Miller, of Folsom, also used Madruga as her last name, and that her legal next-of-kin had been notified. The San Francisco Police Department said officers were conducting sonar scanning around 1pm when someone on a passing vessel told them about a body in the water near Treasure Island, according to KCRA. That body was pulled from the water and the person was subsequently declared dead on the scene. On Tuesday, 20 family members and friends of Maria Boisa, a nurse who took her own life in 2015 when she was 32, had gathered on the Volare cruiser to scatter her ashes. Miller was a family friend, per the San Francisco Chronicle. Authorities said that 16 people were rescued after the capsizing, while 79–year–old Clifford Joseph Boisa was the first person confirmed dead on Wednesday. Maria's adoptive father, 77–year–old Ralph Boisa, said the two people still missing were his sister, Carol Boisa, and his sister–in–law, Jackie Boisa. California mom Tondra Miller, 58, has been identified as the second victim of a San Francisco boat sinking that happened Tuesday afternoon about 600 yards from Alcatraz Island Miller was a family friend who had gathered on the cruiser to scatter the ashes of Maria Boisa, a 32-year-old nurse who died by suicide in 2015 77-year-old Clifford Joseph Boisa (middle) was confirmed dead Wednesday. His brother Ralph (not pictured) said that his sister Carol (left) and sister-in-law Jackie (third from left) were missing On Thursday afternoon, Quin Madruga said that their family was 'heartbroken by the loss of our beloved mother, daughter, sister, and aunt.' 'As this event has received significant public attention, we thank you for respecting the privacy of our family and all those affected as we grieve,' she wrote on Facebook. Miller's public profile said she had worked as a network manager for Sonrava Health since 2024. Before that, she had worked for a dentistry office in East Sacramento. Tributes poured in to her public profile, with one friend writing that she had known Miller 'since I was probably 14 years old' and extending condolences. Another asked, 'Did something happen to Tondra?' and then posted heartbroken emojis when she learned about what happened. A massive search was launched after the boat capsized, with Coast Guard rescue crews using 11 boats and four aircraft to search 950 square nautical miles for 23 hours before the effort was called off Wednesday evening. 'We have completely saturated the search area,' Coast Guard Captain Jarod Toczko said at a press conference. 'Suspending a search is one of the hardest parts of our job and our condolences are with the families of all involved,' he added. Toczko added that there was a 'high possibility' that the missing passengers had become trapped inside the Volare as the boat sank up to 130 feet below the surface. Authorities said there was a 'high possibility' that the missing passengers could have become trapped inside the near-50-foot vessel as it sank Miller, pictured next to her son and with family, also used the last name Madruga, according to the medical examiner's office Clifford Joseph Boisa, 79, was identified as the first victim on Wednesday. He was initially pulled from the water but later succumbed to his injuries Ralph Boisa said that his daughter, Yvonne Thatcher, her husband and three sons, were among the passengers who were on the boat when the horrific sinking happened. 'They were trying to get out, banging on the windows,' Ralph told the San Francisco Chronicle. 'My daughter managed to get to the door and get it open, and she got out.' Ralph explained that the family had gathered at sea because Maria, his adopted daughter 'was a big surfer, loved the water, loved the bay, and that's why they put her ashes out there.' His older brother, Clifford, was the first victim named after the boat capsized earlier this week. Clifford, a former reserve deputy for the Sutter County Sheriff's Office from 1987 to 2001, was pulled from the water but later died, per the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. His dog also died. When rescue workers arrived at the scene, two of the Volare's three levels were already submerged, according to The New York Times. A witness, James Smith, said he spotted passengers hanging from the hull as the boat continued to sink. 'In my career, I've never seen anything like this,' Smith, a 52–year–old boat operator for 40 years, told the outlet. The Volare had passed under the Golden Gate Bridge twice and visited Angel Island State Park in the bay before the return trip, according to the ship–tracking website VesselFinder. The US Coast Guard suspended its search effort on Wednesday evening, with Captain Jarod Toczko explaining that they had 'completely saturated the search area' The vessel was owned by Ralph and Clifford's Navy veteran brother John Boisa, 62, and his wife Miriam Lyell, 63, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. 'All of us are grieving during this time,' John told the outlet. Toczko, the Coast Guard captain, said the capsizing happened when a large wave left the Volare unstable and 'listing heavily.' However, it has not yet been determined why exactly the vessel lost stability. 'All indications are that things happened very quickly,' Toczko said. 'When the vessel took on a wave over the side, it quickly rolled to starboard.' Toczko added that it was 'highly likely' the missing passengers were trapped inside the boat. Since the vessel sank far too deep for divers to reach it, the Coast Guard will attempt to find it with an underwater drone. Though the Coast Guard suspended its search on Wednesday, the San Francisco Police Department continued its search on Thursday, according to KTVU. The Daily Mail has reached out to Miller's family, the San Francisco Police Department and the Coast Guard, which is still investigating the sinking, for comment.