The final victim of the Lake Tahoe boating accident, which occurred during a severe and unexpected weekend thunderstorm, was recovered on Monday, raising the total number of fatalities to eight.

A 27-foot (8-meter) gold Chris-Craft boat, with ten people on board, overturned on Saturday afternoon near D.L. Bliss State Park, which is on the southwest side of Lake Tahoe. This happened when a sudden storm created large waves, according to U.S. Coast Guard officials.

Two people were rescued right away and taken to a hospital, but their condition is unknown. The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office reported that six bodies were found later on Saturday, and a seventh body was discovered on Sunday evening. Divers searched a part of Lake Tahoe and found the last body on Monday afternoon.

Sergeant Kyle Parker stated that the victims' identities would remain confidential pending notification of their next of kin.

While there have been unfortunate drownings and other accidental deaths on the lake recently, boating accidents with many fatalities are not common. In 2022, the South Lake Tahoe Police Department told KCRA-TV that there are usually six deaths on the lake each summer, although 2021 had a record 15 fatalities. The department could not immediately give updated numbers.

Even weather forecasters were surprised by how strong the thunderstorm was; they had expected some rain, but not the violent storm that hit the southern part of the lake around 3 p.m., said meteorologist Matthew Chyba from the National Weather Service office in Reno, Nevada. Winds reached over 35 mph (56 kph) and waves grew to more than 8 feet (2.5 meters).

"Chyba admitted the intensity had caught them off guard."

He mentioned that temperatures in the area were much colder than usual for this time of year, which might have made the air mass more unstable.

Chyba characterized the eight-foot waves on Lake Tahoe as "pretty significant," adding that "they were really churning up the lake."

Lake Tahoe stands as a highly sought-after summer recreational haven for enthusiasts of boating, kayaking, and paddleboarding. This pristine lake, characterized by its exceptionally frigid waters, straddles the border between California and Nevada, distinguishing itself as one of the nation's deepest, surpassed only by Oregon's Crater Lake.

Officials have not yet provided specific information about the people on the boat that overturned, nor have they stated if the boat was rented or owned.

The tempest that struck on Saturday abated in approximately two hours.

Brittany Glick explained that a bachelorette party she was on with seven friends on a rented pontoon boat on Saturday took an unexpected turn when the wind got stronger and the waves grew larger. She added on Monday that the day had started sunny, but then the temperature suddenly dropped and it became very hard to see.

She described the experience as being similar to the beginning of a tsunami, stating that she had never encountered anything like it before.

After about an hour of navigating increasingly rough waters, which completely soaked the passengers, the boat returned to the dock just as it started to hail.

Glick described the disturbing experience, saying that seeing all the boats overturned was very upsetting. He added that being completely soaked made them extremely cold, causing them to shiver uncontrollably and their feet to go numb, with their toes turning blue. He reflected that the sudden and terrifying storm was likely one of the most frightening moments he had experienced in 30 years.

KCRA-TV obtained video footage depicting moored vessels colliding at a local marina, buffeted by powerful wind gusts.