Commercial fishing crew helps 3 after 52-foot boat catches fire off Boca Raton – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports
BOCA RATON, FLA. (WSVN) – A commercial fishing crew happened to be in the right place, at the right time, after a vessel off the coast of South Florida erupted in flames.
The 52-foot watercraft ignited off the Boca Raton shore, Wednesday morning. Dark smoke could be seen from miles away.
Commercial fisherman Paul Varian and his crew were the closest boat on the water when the fire broke out. He said it first looked like a small amount of diesel smoke, but within minutes, the entire cabin was covered in flames.
“When we got there, they had already gotten their dinghy in the water, and they were climbing into the dinghy, and one guy was trying to start it, but it wouldn’t start,” he said, “so the other two were paddling with their hands like that, trying to get the dinghy away from the boat on fire. They’re still getting all the smoke straight in their face.”
Fortunately, Varian said, he and his crew were able to throw the three men on board a rope and drag their dinghy away from the fire. All three of them survived.
Firefighters said the blaze may have started as an electronic one near the boat’s panel.
“You got electricity, you got fuel, and you got saltwater all in the same spot,” said Varian. “Boat fires do happen, and they’re very dangerous. And you’re stuck.”
This wasn’t the first time Varian has responded to emergency calls. He said he’s helped multiple boaters in trouble out on the water.
Helping others in times of need is just something you do, this fisherman said.
“That’s just like the code, just do the right thing, and I mean, we’re out there every day. I’ve towed 100 people,” he said. “That’s the second fire, we’ve found, to be the first boat to [arrive]. The first one, we got the fire out, and, yeah, just do the right thing.”
Varian said this fire is a reminder for boaters to check their safety gear, including fire extinguishers, life jackets and emergency radios.
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