Boat accident fatal for teacher Boat accident fatal for teacher (August 20, 2003)

** Hillview teacher's husband also drowns. Seven survive ordeal in cold Lake Tahoe.

By Marjorie Mader
Almanac Staff Writer

A boating outing on Lake Tahoe with family and friends turned tragic for Menlo Park middle school teacher Jan Sauer and her husband Charles August Sauer Jr. of San Carlos August 6 after their rented boat capsized in choppy water.

Ms. Sauer, 50, a resource teacher at Hillview Middle School, is presumed dead after an intensive search failed to locate her in the cold waters of Lake Tahoe. Mr. Sauer, 53, a consultant, died from apparent drowning after strong waves and wind overturned the boat, tossing all nine members of the vacationing group into the water.

Rescued after the harrowing experience were the Sauers' two children, Michael, 18, and Katie, 14; Daria Finstad, a close friend and teacher at Hillview Middle School; her husband Juris Dumpis, and their daughters Marisa Dumpis, 19, and Ariana Dumpis, 14, of San Carlos. Friend Ashley Lawrence of Menlo Park, a paddle crewmember at the University of California, Davis, swam about a mile to shore and was rescued at Cave Rock on the east side of the lake. She and Marisa Dumpis graduated from Menlo-Atherton High School, where Ariana will be a freshman this fall. The three girls all graduated from Hillview School.

The seven survivors were treated for various stages of hypothermia and cuts at Barton Memorial Hospital in South Lake Tahoe. All were released August 6 except for Michael Sauer, who was hospitalized for two days and treated for hypothermia.

A memorial service for Jan and Chuck Sauer will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, September 6, in St. Denis Church, 2250 Avy Ave. in Menlo Park.

A scholarship fund is being established for the Sauer children, who are students at Carlmont High School, said Debbie Devoto, a counselor at Hillview Middle School and friend of Ms. Sauer. Donations may be made to the Sauer Children Scholarship Fund at P.O. Box 381, Menlo Park, CA 94026.

The faculty and staff at Hillview and in the Menlo Park school district were shocked and saddened last week to learn about the tragic accident.

"Jan was a wonderful teacher and person, who went above and beyond her duty in working with children with special needs and their families," said Hillview Principal Mike Moore.

Ms. Devoto, who has known Ms. Sauer as a friend, colleague and mother for 15 years, said: "In all those roles, she devoted her heart and soul to those relationships. She was an incredible mother, a dedicated teacher and a loving and supportive friend."

Ms. Sauer, a resource teacher who helped children with learning disabilities, has taught in the Menlo Park district since 1987. She began teaching at Hillview School, moved over to Oak Knoll School and taught a special day class there for two years, and then returned to Hillview.

She is survived by her father, Don Lowry of Sharon Heights, and sister Pat Winter of Campbell.

Mr. Sauer, one of nine children, is survived locally by his brother Mark Sauer of Palo Alto.

A week's vacation at Lake Tahoe was an annual event for the families of Ms. Finstad and Ms. Sauer. They rented the boat at Sunnyside about 2:15 p.m. on August 6 and motored to Emerald Bay to look around and have snacks.

According to reports, Mr. Sauer was driving the boat toward Cave Rock and Zephyr Cove on the east side of the lake when the wind picked up considerably. A decision was made to return to Sunnyside because of the high winds and waves.

Two huge, rogue waves hit the boat, knocking off part of the bow and filling the boat with water. Ashley Lawrence was knocked overboard, and the others scrambled to get into the water and off the sinking boat. The group tried to stay together and hang on to the overturned boat while they waited to be rescued. Apparently, a decision was made that Ashley would swim to shore and Ms. Finstad would swim behind her.

The Tahoe-Douglas Fire Protection District received a 911 call about the overturned boat around the time the boat was scheduled to return at 6:15 p.m. Authorities asked a Modesto family to help in the rescue as they were coming into Cave Rock's boat ramp after fishing. They turned around and helped rescue Ms. Finstad and three teenagers, according to reports.

The Tahoe Star, the yacht for Harrah's Lake Tahoe, picked up Ms. Finstad's husband, who was floating away from the search area. He was transferred to a U.S. Coast Guard boat that took him to shore.

The Coast Guard boat also brought three to shore, including Mr. Sauer, who was found drifting and unconscious with a life preserver hanging on his right arm, according to a detective coroner with the El Dorado Sheriff's Department. He was flown to Barton Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Authorities searched for Ms. Sauer until midnight, resumed the intensive search early August 7 and concluded it August 8 when no trace of her was found.

E-mail Marjorie Mader at mmader@AlmanacNews.com