SF DoorDash exec, parents among 8 victims of deadly Lake Tahoe capsizing during storm
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A Bay Area family was among the eight people killed in the Lake Tahoe boating accident, the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office Coroner's Division confirmed as they identified all victims.
DoorDash executive Josh Pickles, 37, of San Francisco and his parents, 73-year-old Terry Pickles and 71-year-old Paula Bozinovich from Redwood City, died in the capsizing.
The San Francisco-based company says he was the global head of strategic sourcing and procurement within the finance team. According to his LinkedIn account, Pickles worked for DoorDash for nearly seven years. Before that, he worked for Salesforce and Cisco Systems.
UPDATE: 2 survivors of deadly Lake Tahoe boating accident were wearing life jackets, authorities say
DoorDash chief financial officer Ravi Inukonda provided a statement to ABC7 News:
"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."
Two other victims were from California: 72-year-old Peter Bayes from Lincoln and 71-year-old Timothy O'Leary from Auburn.
Bayes was Josh Pickles' uncle, according to family spokesperson Sam Singer.
Late Tuesday afternoon, ABC7 News learned more about passenger Timothy O'Leary, a 71-year-old retired plumber and pipefitter with ties to San Mateo County.
A leader with Local 467 shared this:
"Tim was the kind of guy who could fix anything. He had a deep love for the outdoors. and above all was a devoted family man," said Mark Burri, Business Director for Local 467.
There were also three victims from New York: 66-year-old Theresa Giullari and 69-year-old James Guck from Honeoye, and 63-year-old Stephen Lindsay from Springwater.
Two people on board did survive, but their condition is not known. Sources tell ABC7 News everyone had gathered in Tahoe for a birthday celebration.
Singer told ABC7 News that the boat belonged to Josh Pickles and his wife.
"This is a terrible heartbreaking tragedy that took the lives of Joshua Pickles, his father Terry, his mother Paula, his uncle Peter as well as friends and family, all of whom were out on the lake celebrating the 71st birthday of his mother," Singer said. "The family has homes in the Bay Area as well as on Lake Tahoe. They love the lake. That adds to the tragedy that has occurred."
RELATED: ABC7's Drew Tuma examines fast-moving Tahoe storm that caused deadly capsizing, extensive damage
Josh Pickles' wife and 7-month-old child skipped the boat outing, instead staying on shore, according to Singer.
ABC7 News has received a statement from Pickles' wife Jordan:
"We are devastated by this tragedy. No words can express the pain and anguish we feel knowing their lives were lost during what was meant to be a joyful time on the lake. Our hearts go out to those who tragically lost their lives and the two survivors of this unexpected and deadly storm on Lake Tahoe."
Victims remembered
Flowers were seen at the home of Redwood City couple Terry Pickles and Paula Bozinovich.
"I was like, oh my gosh! And then Paula, Terry, and then I saw Joshua and I was like, Oh my gosh! It's them, you know, and it was just. It's hard to. It's really a hard pill to swallow when you see that," said Vini Chopra.
That from Vini Chopra who is a childhood friend of the family. Chopra's parents previously ran a restaurant in Redwood City called Little India. He says the Pickles family would often come in.
"I remember them being at you know, some of my very early birthday parties playing like video games upstairs while they were dining because I had a Sega Genesis upstairs when I was with my parents in a restaurant you know, and he would, Josh would come up and play. I just remember Josh's mom, Paula. She was really fun, very lively. You know, just someone that you could really easily talk to when I was a kid," said Chopra.
Friends of Paula's tell us she worked for Apple for many years before retiring. One of the pictures in the video above was taken at an event nearly 18 years ago.
Neighbors tell us they walked their two dogs every day and always stopped to chat. Saying they were kind and would often go boating.
Those in Placer County are remembering Josh Pickles' uncle, 71-year-old Pete Bayes of Lincoln.
"You couldn't have asked for a better neighbor. Always willing to watch the kids like Stella said, he helped with the dogs, my yard, garbage cans, parking spots you name it. He would help you. Just a great guy," said Thomas Smith.
As we finished our interview with Vini Chopra, he said, "I just wanted to make it, you know. Make sure that people know that they're a great family. They're going to be really missed by everyone. And they touched a lot of people. Josh was a great guy."
The group of 10 was on a 27-foot "Chris-Craft" luxury powerboat.
The 911 calls that the boat had capsized came in around 3 p.m. on Saturday.
While stormy weather was in the forecast, the intensity of the weather surprised people in the area as waves reached 8 to 10 feet.
This is the deadliest boating incident in California since 2019.
