DoorDash Exec Josh Pickles’ Fatal Boat Outing Began as Birthday Party

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It was a family birthday celebration that ended in tragedy.

A few days after Josh Pickles, aged 37, along with his parents Terry Pickles, 73, Paula Bozinovich, 71, and his uncle Peter Bayes, 72, as well as four others, tragically lost their lives in a boating accident on Lake Tahoe, those close to them have offered glimpses into the family gathering that was intended to celebrate Terry Pickles, the matriarch of the Pickles family.

Family representative Sam Singer stated to ABC7 that it was an incredibly sad and heart-wrenching incident which claimed the lives of Joshua Pickles, his father Terry, mother Paula, uncle Peter, along with friends and relatives. They were all enjoying a lake celebration for Paula’s 71st birthday when this unfortunate event occurred. The fact that they cherished the lake makes this tragedy even more poignant.

The friends, namely Timothy O’Leary (aged 71), James Guck (69), Theresa Giullari (66), and Stephen Lindsay (63), unfortunately lost their lives. This tragic incident occurred when a 27-foot Chris-Craft boat overturned due to a large wave on the lake, caused by severe weather conditions. Two individuals were rescued and transported to a hospital; however, their current health status has not been disclosed.

During the boat trip, Josh’s wife, Jordan Sugar-Carslgaard (who has a 7-month-old with the deceased DoorDash executive), remained on land. After the tragic incident, she openly shared about the sorrow her family is experiencing.

Jordan conveyed through ABC7 that no words can capture the sorrow and distress we feel, knowing lives were lost during what should have been a joyful lake experience. Our sympathies are with those who suffered loss and the two survivors from the sudden and fatal storm on Lake Tahoe.

Josh’s colleagues at DoorDash also expressed their condolences. 

In a deeply sad turn of events, Ravi Inukonda, our company’s chief financial officer, expressed profound sorrow over the fatal accident involving our cherished coworker, Josh Pickles, as reported by ABC7. Josh was not only fond of his team but also served as an inspiring figure for anyone who had the opportunity to know him. Over nearly seven years at DoorDash, Josh’s vibrant energy uplifted those in his presence.

He went on to say, “Josh’s absence leaves a void that cannot be filled. We grieve for him intensely and aim to keep his spirit alive within us forever. Our sympathies extend to his spouse, child, relatives, and everyone who was dear to him. We are making efforts to help them navigate this excruciatingly tough phase in their lives.

Read on for other boating accidents that have tragically claimed lives. 

In June of 2025, a tragic boating accident on Lake Tahoe resulted in the loss of eight lives, marking the most fatal maritime incident in California since 2019. Among the victims was Doordash executive Josh Pickles, along with his parents Terry Pickles and Paula Bozinovic, and his uncle Peter Bayes. The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office Coroner’s Division confirmed this sad news to ABC 7 San Francisco at that time.

The family was honoring Pickles’ mom’s 71st birthday, as reported by a family representative to the media. Tragically, Timothy O’Leary, James Guck, Theresa Giullari, and Stephen Lindsay were among the victims in the crash. However, there were just two people who managed to survive.

45 individuals on a sightseeing submarine in the Red Sea off Egypt’s coast experienced a crash in March 2025, resulting in the unfortunate loss of six Russian tourists as confirmed by the Egyptian governorate office to NBC News. Fortunately, 39 passengers survived, with nine sustaining injuries according to local authorities, who spoke to the Associated Press. The remaining 30 survivors were safely returned to their hotels.

The submarine involved in the accident was operated by Sinbad Underwater Tours, a company specializing in underwater recreation tours at depths of 25 meters beneath the ocean surface. Each tour costs $70 per person. After the crash, Sinbad Submarines expressed their deepest sympathies to the families of the six deceased individuals through a statement to Daily News Egypt, saying that they shared in their grief with great sorrow.

 

In March 2025, Kimberly Burch, who is engaged to Taime Downe from the band Faster Pussycat, tragically fell from a Royal Caribbean ship with an ’80s theme off the coast of Miami. This unfortunate incident was confirmed by her mother, Carnell Burch, to TMZ at that time.

Two months after the interview, Downe claimed that his fiancée’s demise was due to a combination of alcohol and prescription medications.

Downe shared during an interview on Trunk Nation with Eddie Trunk in May 2025 that his journey through grief has been like a rollercoaster. He admitted that he’s managing, moving forward one day at a time.

 

In August 2024, during an unexpected storm, a luxury yacht off the coast of Sicily went under, carrying a crew of 10 and 12 passengers. Tragically, six lives were lost in this disaster, including tech CEO Mike Lynch, his daughter Hannah, attorney Christopher Morvillo from New York along with his wife Neda, Morgan Stanley International chairman Jonathan Bloomer, and his wife Judy.

It was later ascertained that the incident was due to a phenomenon known as a “sea tornado,” or a twister that can occur over water. Salvo Cocina, head of Sicily’s civil protection agency, stated to NBC News at the time of the accident that the boat found itself in an unfortunate and untimely position.

Among the few individuals who made it through the devastating incident known as the “Charlotte Golunski” tragedy, one of them – Charlotte herself – shared her experience of the storm with “La Repubblica,” describing it as if she was witnessing “the apocalypse.

In June 2023, headlines were filled with the tragic loss of OceanGate’s Titan submersible, a deep-sea tourism craft intended for visits to the Titanic wreckage site. After a four-day search and monitoring its 96-hour oxygen supply, it was discovered that the vessel had suffered a self-collapse, resulting in the fatalities of all five passengers onboard.

I had the privilege of joining an illustrious group aboard a sunken ship, led by OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush. Alongside me were esteemed British businessman Hamish Harding, fellow British-Pakistani entrepreneur Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, as well as renowned Titanic researcher Paul-Henri Nargeolet. This journey was a remarkable opportunity to explore the depths of history together.

Approximately a month following the explosion, OceanGate temporarily halted all its operations. In the documentary titled “Implosion: Titanic Sub Disaster,” released about two years post-incident, the series of events that precipitated the catastrophe, such as OceanGate’s oversight in safety procedures, were scrutinized. Moreover, video footage presumed to be the instant of the explosion, as per the Coast Guard, was disclosed publicly.

In the video, Wendy Rush, who is a director at the underwater tourism company OceanGate, heard a loud crash while monitoring the dive from their offices. Turning to her colleague Gary Foss, she asked, “What was that noise?

On a boating trip at California’s Lake Piru with her young son Josey, the actress from Glee, Rivera, went missing. This happened on July 8, 2020, when authorities found her son alone on the boat in the middle of the lake. After a prolonged search by the Ventura County Sheriff’s department, they confirmed that Rivera’s body was discovered floating on the lake’s surface five days later. Rivera’s son, whom she shared with ex Ryan Dorsey, had stated during the investigation that they had swum in the lake that day and he recalled his mother helping him back into the boat.

At a press conference in 2020, Sheriff Bill Ayub of Ventura County explained that there are strong currents on the lake, especially in the afternoon. He suggested that Rivera likely disappeared during the afternoon when the currents were at their strongest. The boat was unanchored, and it may have drifted due to these currents. Rivera is believed to have had enough energy to get her son back onto the boat, but not enough to save herself.

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2025-06-25 21:47