Trending Topics

Boat bursts into flames with 5 aboard off Calif. coast

L.A. County Fire Department, Lifeguard Division started extinguishing the blazing boat to prevent the fire from spreading “to the island cliff face nearby”

453180276_18448776577014929_6220.jpg

Los Angeles County Fire Department, Lifeguard Division

By Daniella Segura
The Charlotte Observer

LOS ANGELES — Five people were rescued from a sinking boat as it burned off the Southern California coast, rescuers say.

Lifeguards and firefighters responded to a call about the burning 51-foot-long vessel at about 7 a.m. Sunday, July 28, the Los Angeles County Fire Department, Lifeguard Division, said in a Facebook post.

Bystanders rescued the five people, who were taken to a hospital, rescuers said.

Baywatch Avalon started extinguishing the blazing boat to prevent the fire from spreading “to the island cliff face nearby,” rescuers said.

Photos shared by the department show smoke billowing from the boat near the island as firefighters battle the blaze.

Forty-five minutes after crews started dousing the blaze, the boat sank, rescuers said.

The incident was turned over to the U.S. Coast Guard and salvagers, who will retrieve what they can of the boat to mitigate pollution, according to rescuers.

Trending
Senate Bill 466, passed by the House, would allow job training credits to count toward Firefighter I Certification and grant EMS agencies a grace period for state reporting
The Coeur d’Alene community is grieving and shaken after the deadly ambush that killed two firefighters, leaving residents grappling with shock, fear, and outrage
Authorities say Wess Roley, a 20-year-old living out of his car, set a fire on Canfield Mountain before fatally shooting two battalion chiefs and injuring a third
The IAFF says President Freddy Escobar failed to properly document over $212,000 in expenses, reaffirming audit findings despite new receipts

©2024 The Charlotte Observer.
Visit charlotteobserver.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.