At least 6 dead, 2 missing after boat capsizes on Lake Tahoe during large swells, storm

LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (KGO) -- A fierce fast-moving thunderstorm on Lake Tahoe that whipped up high waves resulted in tragedy over the weekend.

Six people were confirmed dead and two others were missing after a boat with 10 people on board capsized on the lake Saturday afternoon, officials said. Two people were rescued and taken to a hospital.

Rescue workers and divers searched the area Saturday evening and resumed their search Sunday morning, however, it has since been suspended.

The capsize happened near D.L. Bliss State Park along the southwest shore of Lake Tahoe north of Emerald Bay. Winds of about 30 knots and swells of up to 8 feet were reported around the time the 27-foot gold Chris-Craft vessel flipped over near the lake's southwest edge, Coast Guard officials said.

Conor Bugbee of Sacramento captured huge waves, fierce winds, and the unbelievable damage on his cellphone.

"That right there is the front of the Grove at Camp Richardson," he said, describing his video. "There's a sailboat that broke lose and all the mooring balls that tied the boat in the water were getting ripped up. There is a quarter-million dollar Cobalt there, a sheriff's boat right there, two sailboats. It was insane."

Bugbee saw boats sinking and wild weather.

"It was snowing sideways and the next thing you know, you have 3-4-foot waves coming it, it felt like a hurricane, it was insane," he said.

Bugbee says he and his father-in-law helped some boaters get to shore safely off a large pontoon boat.

Nick Gonzales is a former Bay Area resident who has lived in Tahoe for the past four years.

"To hear that a boat capsize there is a shock there to be absolutely honest," he said. "This is the strongest and most powerful storm I've seen in the middle of summer. It caught us off guard. There were half submerged boats on the shore. Just a lot of damage for some boats."

Jason Mack is very familiar with the weather and the water in the area. He works ski patrol in North Tahoe and know people were in trouble Saturday afternoon.

"We started hearing a helicopter in the area," he said. "I've been here a long time, I've seen 4-6 foot waves. I think the waves were 8-10 feet."

As terrible as the conditions were Saturday, Mack said says it's a good thing more people weren't hurt.

"It's almost surprising there weren't more accidents out there really considering how many people were on the lake," he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.