Another boat capsized during storm. Everyone on board survived

By Ryan Curry

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    LAKE TAHOE, California (KCRA) — A sudden burst of cold air, intense wind and high surf rolled through Lake Tahoe on June 21. It moved so fast that some boaters quickly realized they were in danger.

“There was very little time to anticipate,” said Dan Johnston, who was operating his boat on the water. “In fact, while I was trying to go to the west shore, I still wasn’t recognizing what was happening to us.”

The intense storm led to strong wind gusts and waves too powerful to steer through. The Johnstons were out celebrating their son Connor’s graduation from Cal Poly. They brought several of his friends with them.

What started as a calm day on the water quickly turned to a dangerous moment. The storm was too intense, and the family quickly called 911.

Rescue crews came to meet them and began towing them to shore. At that time, Dan and his wife Dani told everyone to put on life jackets. Even with rescue boats towing them, the storm wouldn’t let up.

“I told the kids, get ready, we’re going in the water,” said Dani.

The boat capsized at that moment, and all of them went overboard. Dani says one of the rescuers told some of them to swim to shore, while the others boarded the rescue boats from the South Lake Tahoe fire and police departments.

The San Francisco Chronicle spoke with the dispatcher, who said, “Everyone thought they were going to die.”

“The biggest sense of relief was that we weren’t going to have to make a call letting them know that your child had been seriously injured or perished,” Dani said.

Everyone on board went to a local hospital, and all checked out fine, the Johnstons said. However, they remember the moment of being back together.

“Our first reuniting was in the hospital, and there was a lot of hugs,” Dan said. “There was a lot of war stories being told about what happened to them.”

Their boat capsized in the same storm that led to eight people dying when another boat capsized. Those on board that boat were celebrating a 71st birthday.

The Johnstons’ boat was in the water for over 20 hours after they were rescued. That boat is considered a total loss, but Dan and Dani don’t care. They’re happy they all lived.

“People have asked me about the boat, I don’t give a damn,” Dan said.

“Boats can be replaced, lives can’t,” Dani said.

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