A boat caught fire off Prince Edward County in Ontario, Canada, on Friday afternoon, forcing all occupants to abandon the vessel and escape in a dinghy, according to Prince Edward County Fire and Rescue Chief Patrick Howe.
Emergency services were dispatched at about 1:30 pm to waters between Prince Edward County and Amherst Island after an alert over a marine fire with explosions. All occupants reached shore without injury.
Local fire crews were initially unable to reach the burning vessel because of its distance offshore, while a large plume of black smoke was visible from the south side of Amherst Island. Prince Edward County Fire and Rescue, the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary and the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Trenton took part in the response. Loyalist Township Emergency Services, Ontario Provincial Police and paramedics were also involved.
“Thankfully the occupants were able to get off the boat, and they made it to shore unharmed,” Howe said. Prince Edward County Fire and Rescue later worked with the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary and JRCC Trenton in recovering the vessel.
The Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary is a network of non-profit volunteer organisations that supports maritime search and rescue as an official partner of the Canadian Coast Guard.