Three boaters were rescued off the Marin coast on Friday, Oct. 30, after their vessel caught fire and sank about 5 miles west of Stinson Beach, the U.S. Coast Guard said Sunday.
What happened
Just before noon, Coast Guard watchstanders got a distress call from a good Samaritan who saw smoke coming from a boat with a person aboard waving their arms, CBS News Bay Area reported. The 32-foot boat was also taking on water, according to Bay City News.
The Coast Guard launched a motor lifeboat crew and a helicopter crew. Before they arrived, the good Samaritan vessel pulled all three people off the burning boat, which then sank.
The boaters are safe
Coast Guard crews moved the three boaters onto the lifeboat. None of them needed medical attention, and they were taken back to Pier 45 in San Francisco, where their trip had started, CBS reported.
The vessel's master told the Coast Guard the boat began taking on water rapidly through the engine compartment at the stern before it went down. The cause of the fire and the sinking is under investigation.
Why it matters
The rescue is a reminder of how quickly trouble can develop offshore, even on a calm fall day, and of the role passing boaters often play as first responders on the water. Marin's coast is a popular day trip from Fisherman's Wharf. For more on the area, see our Stinson Beach guide.