Ferry Crew and Firefighters Respond to Burning Boat Off Seattle

 

On Sunday afternoon, a boat caught fire just off the downtown Seattle waterfront, sparking a full-scale response from the Coast Guard and local fire and rescue agencies.

At about noon, the Coast Guard received a report of a boat on fire near Duwamish Head Light, just off the northern tip of West Seattle. The Seattle Fire Department dispatched the fireboat Chief Seattle to the scene, and Coast Guard Station Seattle dispatched two fast response boats. The ferry Chimacum diverted to assist, along with several other good Samaritan vessels. 

The boat's owner quickly abandoned ship to escape the flames, and he was rescued by a good Samaritan vessel. He was transferred to shore for medical evaluation, and declined further assistance. 

Chief Seattle arrived on scene and put out the fire, and the fireboat briefly took the wreck in tow. It was soon relieved by a commercial towing service operator, who towed the boat towards the 32nd Avenue West beach access point on the north side of the bay. Before it could arrive, the fire-damaged boat sank.

 

 

The wreck has been boomed off and a dive team will remove an estimated 250 gallons of fuel from the vessel's tanks. The owner has contracted with a salvor for the removal of the remains of the hull. 

"It's crucial that mariners with installed VHF radios onboard monitor Channel 16 for incidents like these," said Lt. Cmdr. Thomas Bower, the commanding officer of Station Seattle. "Our Coast Guard Reservists were able to respond alongside our Seattle Fire partners and confirm no additional people were in the water with the Good Samaritan on scene."