VIDEO: 2 men rescued from burning boat in Tampa Bay
The US Coast Guard and fire crews have rescued two men after a boat caught fire on Monday morning (5 December 2022) in Tampa Bay, Florida.
Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg received a call around 10am, with reports of a large vessel on fire near Pinellas Point, south of the downtown area.
In a statement, the Coast Guard says they worked with the fire department, Eckerd College Search and Rescue and a salvage company to remove two men from the boat without injury.
“Once on scene, we got together with our partner agencies to extinguish the fire and help establish a safety zone to keep other vessel traffic out of harm’s way,” says Petty Officer 2nd Class Aaron Klipin, the coxswain for Station St. Petersburg. “We also monitored the fire due to the potential for impacting the environment.”
The boat’s owner is understood to be coordinating with salvage for the safe removal of the wreck. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined.
Last month, a wind-driven fire destroyed several buildings and boats at a popular Connecticut marina along the Mystic River. And, in September, four boats were destroyed in Gouvia Marina, on the Greek island of Corfu, in a large blaze.
