A DoorDash executive and his parents were killed along with five others in a boating accident in Lake Tahoe, California, after being caught in a sudden storm.
Joshua Antony Pickles, 37, had invited his family and friends onto his boat to celebrate his mother’s 71st birthday, but the celebration quickly turned to tragedy as the group found themselves in unexpected heavy weather.
The 27-foot-long gold Chris-Craft powerboat capsized Saturday near D.L. Bliss State Park after getting caught in 8-foot waves and wind gusts of around 35 mph.
Boats crashed, rocked, and sank as a strong storm slammed South Lake Tahoe over the weekend. Waves up to 8 feet were reported. pic.twitter.com/cax4v845yZ
— AccuWeather (@accuweather) June 23, 2025
“The waves were so big that the water came onboard and started to fill the boat up and stalled the engine,” said Sam Singer, a spokesperson for the family. He noted that Pickles was a skilled boater but had only used the boat twice last year.
Among the 10 people on board, eight passed away, including Pickles, his mother, Paula Bozinovich, 71, and father Terry Pickles, 73, from Redwood City, California, according to the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office.
Two people were immediately rescued and brought to the hospital Saturday, and the last missing person’s body was recovered Monday with the help of the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Unit.
WCSO Aids in Recovery of Two Victims of Saturday’s Lake Tahoe StormOn Sunday, June 22, 2025, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) Search and Rescue Unit responded to a request for assistance from the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office in the continued search for two missing… pic.twitter.com/2QhpYGZrQr
— Washoe Sheriff (@WashoeSheriff) June 24, 2025
“I have never seen anything like this in Lake Tahoe,” Coop Cooper, manager of the Camp Richardson marina near the wreck, told CBS News.
It is the deadliest boating accident in the state since a 2019 boating fire that claimed the lives of all 33 passengers and one crew member.
“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,” Ravi Inukonda, chief financial officer at DoorDash, told NBC News in a statement.
“The loss of Josh is immeasurable. We miss him deeply and will carry his memory with us always,” he added. “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.”
Pickles was the global head of strategic sourcing and procurement on the finance team at DoorDash and had previously worked at several other major tech companies in the Bay Area, including Salesforce and Cisco Systems.
Pickles’ wife, Jordan Sugar-Carlsgaard, who is the senior executive assistant to the CEO of Airbnb, had stayed onshore to take care of their 7-month-old daughter.
“We lost my loving husband Josh Pickles, his parents Terry Pickles and Paula Bozinovich, and Uncle Peter Bayes, as well as friends in this tragedy,” she said in a statement.
“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,” she added. “Our hearts go out to those who tragically lost their lives and the two survivors of this unexpected and deadly storm on Lake Tahoe.”
The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office released the list of victims Tuesday, which included Pickles and his parents, Pickles’ uncle Peter Bayes, 72, and friends Timothy O’Leary, 71, Theresa Giullari, 66, James Guck, 69, and Stephen Lindsay, 63.
“The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office extends its deepest heartfelt condolences to the families of those who were lost and all those who have been affected by this tragic event,” the sheriff’s office said.
The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office Coroner’s Division has positively identified the victims from the tragic boating…
Posted by El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday, June 24, 2025
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