Father of four from the Bay Area passes away during inaugural visit to Lake Tahoe

The Bay Area community is mourning a Concord father of four and football coach who drowned in Lake Tahoe last week.

Bill Siu’s wife, Alexie Rae Siu, told SFGATE that the family was visiting Lake Tahoe over the weekend for the first time. Alexie said she was riding on a Jet Ski with her husband when choppy waves and strong winds pushed them into the water.

“We kind of got separated, and all I knew was I had to get to him,” Alexie Siu said. “I could see him kind of panicking.”

Bill Siu was found unresponsive in the water after the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District, the United States Coast Guard and Sand Harbor lifeguards responded to the scene, KRON4-TV reported.

Siu was transported to a local hospital in Sand Harbor, where he was declared dead. His death is under investigation as an accidental drowning, the outlet reported.

Alexie described her husband as a “family man” who loved bringing people together and coaching their kids.

“Everyone that I’ve talked to always says that he always had a smile on his face,” she said. “That’s how much he’s made connections within the community.”

Siu coached the Clayton Valley Eagles, a football team his son played on, according to the GoFundMe page set up for the family.

“He was an amazing athlete, and he loved football, and he loved sharing how to play it,” Alexie said.

Siu also coached at P2P Transformation Center in Concord, the GoFundMe page says. Siu began attending the fitness center in support of his wife before becoming a coach, according to a P2P statement shared with KRON4.

“Bill dedicated his love and passion for coaching to the P2P community,” the statement read. “He was a kind and gentle man who had a heart of gold but he always knew how to push and motivate people to be their best.”

Alexie said the family owns a salon, but they downsized it a month ago. She and other Bay Area community members are working to raise money for Siu’s medical and burial expenses. The GoFundMe fundraiser has raised more than $49,000 as of Tuesday afternoon.