By Edward D. Murphy and Leslie Bridgers
The Portland Press Herald
PORTLAND — A fire captain and a firefighter have been suspended without pay for an accident on the city fireboat last weekend that caused $38,000 worth of damage.
City officials who investigated the accident found it could have been avoided and that the two firefighters had 12 civilians, including family members, aboard the City of Portland IV during what was called a training exercise.
The boat hit an underwater object outside the ship channel on the north side of Fort Gorges, according to preliminary findings of a separate Coast Guard investigation. The impact sheared off one of the boat’s two propeller shafts, and a propeller and the rudder were damaged, but the boat was able to return to Portland without aid.
Full story: Firefighter, captain suspended for fireboat accident