2 rescued after fishing boat catches fire off Maine coast
Two men were pulled from the water Thursday after abandoning their burning fishing boat off the coast of Maine, according to a release from the U.S. Coast Guard.
The Northern New England sector of the Coast Guard received a report around 10 a.m. that the small boat’s engine room had caught fire four miles south of Port Clyde. The two men on board also issued a distress call to nearby boaters before donning survival suits and jumping into the water.
A second fishing boat in the area responded to the call and was first on the scene, pulling the men on board just before the Coat Guard arrived to fight the blaze. Despite their efforts, the extensive damage to the boat caused it to sink, according to the release.
“This is an unfortunate situation for the two fishermen, but they did several things right that saved their lives,’’ Capt. Michael Baroody, commander of Coast Guard Sector Northern New England, said in the release. “They used their radio to make a distress call to notify the Coast Guard, they relayed the critical information we needed, and they donned immersion suits.’’
The Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the fire.
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