5/27/17 - On Saturday, the Fresno County Sheriff's Dive Team and Boating Enforcement Unit worked together to successfully recover the wrecked boat from Pine Flat Lake.
It is now being stored as evidence and will be examined at a later time. The survivor and victim did have a pet dog on the boat with them during the crash. The dog is ok and is currently being cared for by family and friends.
The Fresno County Sheriff - Coroner's Office has released the name of the victim of the boating accident at Pine Flat Lake on Friday. She is Bonnie Kalanick, 71, of Northridge, CA. Bonnie is the mother of Uber founder, Travis Kalanick and Fresno firefighter Cory Kalanick.
An autopsy is scheduled for Sunday.
This remains an ongoing investigation. Additional details will be released as they become available.
Please see the following statement from Uber.
“Last night Travis and his family suffered an unspeakable tragedy. His mother passed away in a devastating boating accident near Fresno and his father is in serious condition. Our thoughts and prayers are with Travis and his family in this heartbreaking time.” ~Uber Spokesperson
Any additional media inquiries for Uber should be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
5/26/17 - Shortly before 5:00 pm on Friday, dispatchers at the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a boat accident at Pine Flat Lake. The caller said one person was injured and another person was possibly dead. Deputies with the Sheriff’s Office Boating Enforcement Unit were already patrolling the water and responded to the back of the lake. Deputies aboard EAGLE One also flew to the area to help with locating the boat and victims. Deputies later found a man and woman on shore. He had moderate injuries and the woman was deceased. The Skylife helicopter arrived and flew the man to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno.
Deputies spoke with the survivor and discovered his boat had sank in the lake. A preliminary report indicates the boat struck a rock and the man and woman on the boat suffered injuries from the collision.
On Saturday morning, members of the Sheriff’s Office Dive Team and Boating Unit will work to recover the boat from the lake. Once removed from the water, they will examine the watercraft to try and determine what led to the accident.
The survivor and victim are a local couple who are married. They are in their early 70s. The identity of the victim is not available for release at this time. An autopsy is being scheduled at the Coroner’s Office to determine her cause of death.
This remains an ongoing investigation.
As we head into summer, the Sheriff’s Office would like to remind everyone to be safe while doing water activities. Take simple precautions such as: Wear a life jacket, stay close to shore if you’re not an experienced swimmer and do not mix alcohol and swimming. Alcohol causes swimmers to fatigue faster than normal and can create dangerous situations. Also, please keep an eye on your children at all times. In less than a minute they can slip into the water and be put at risk for injury or death. Prepare your boat for the season to make sure it is in excellent operating condition. Make sure to have proper communication devices with you and notify family or friends of your plans so they can know when to expect your return.