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Eight people tragically lost their lives in a recent boating accident in Lake Tahoe.
Josh Pickles, a 37-year-old San Francisco DoorDash executive, and his parents, Terry Pickles, 73, and Paula Bozinovic, 71, were among the victims, the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office Coroner's Division told ABC 7 San Francisco. According to a family spokesperson who spoke to the outlet, Josh's uncle Peter Bayes, 72, also perished in the accident.
According to the outlet, it was the deadliest boating accident in California since 2019, and the other four victims were identified as Stephen Lindsay, 63; Theresa Giullari, 66; Timothy O'Leary, 71; and James Guck, 69. Only two people made it out alive, and their health is unknown.
According to the outlet, Josh celebrated his mother Paula's 71st birthday on June 21 by taking his family out on a lake in California in his 27-foot "Chris-Craft" luxury powerboat. Around 5 p.m., officials received 911 calls informing them that their boat had capsized during a storm, according to ABC 7.
"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," the spokesperson told ABC 7. "The family owns properties on Lake Tahoe and in the Bay Area. They adore the lake. That makes the tragedy that has already happened even worse.
According to the representative, Josh's wife, Jordan Pickles, chose to remain on shore with their 7-month-old and was not on board at the time. Jordan also talked about how losing her husband has permanently altered her life, despite surviving the fatal boat accident.
Telling the outlet, "We are devastated by this tragedy,"The sorrow and anguish we feel knowing that their lives were taken during what should have been a happy time on the lake are beyond words. Our thoughts and prayers are with the two survivors and the sadly deceased from this deadly and unanticipated storm on Lake Tahoe.
Joshua's LinkedIn profile states that he was the Global Head of Strategic Sourcing and Procurement at the Finance team at DoorDash and had spent nearly seven years at the company.
Josh's contribution to DoorDash, a food delivery service, was reflected in a statement by the company's chief financial officer.
CFO Ravi Inukonda told 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."
"He brought a contagious spirit that lifted those around him during his nearly seven years at DoorDash," he continued. Josh's loss is incalculable. We will always remember him and miss him terribly."
In closing, the CFO said, "Our thoughts and love are with his wife, his daughter, his family, and his surviving family members who are grieving the loss. We are working to support them through this incredibly difficult time."
