Two people were rescued Wednesday after their boat caught fire and sank offshore California, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
At around 7:40 a.m. Wednesday, watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector San Francisco were alerted to a a 45-foot vessel on fire with two people aboard approximately one mile offshore Santa Cruz. The Coast Guard issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast to alert other vessels in the area, deployed a Coast Guard Station Monterey boat crew, and coordinated with local agencies.
Santa Cruz Harbor Patrol (SCHP) and Fire Boat 12 also responded to the scene. The SCHP crew rescued both people from the burning vessel and transported them to Santa Cruz Wharf. There were no reported injuries.
The fire crew extinguished the blaze, but when TowboatUS attempted to salvage the vessel, it sank before it could be towed.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response and Parker Diving Service Redwood Shore Diving Inc. responded to the scene.
According to the Coast Guard, the boat sank to a depth of 47 feet with an estimated 650 gallons of fuel on board, out of a capacity of approximately 1000 gallons. No active discharge or apparent damage to the fuel-storage tanks was observed.
“Our top priorities in any incident are safety of the public and responders and protection of the environment,” said Lt. Cmdr. Mark Leahey, Coast Guard Sector San Francisco Incident Management Division Chief. “We approach every operation with care and deliberate action to mitigate adverse impact to the environment.”
The Coast Guard is monitoring salvage operations. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
