Boat sinks in Eagle Harbor after catching fire

Published 12:10 pm Saturday, October 15, 2016

A 24-foot-boat in Eagle Harbor caught fire and sank Saturday morning.

A liveaboard on the boat escaped serious harm but was taken to a Seattle hospital for treatment of minor injuries, said Assistant Chief Luke Carpenter of the Bainbridge Island Fire Department.

The boat was moored in Eagle Harbor and not at a dock; no other vessels were in danger during the fire.

The fire was reported at 9:06 a.m. Saturday.

“We got there and the boat was fully involved,” Carpenter said.

The man on the burning boat had been taken off the vessel by a Good Samaritan. His injuries were minor, and he was taken to Seattle by a Bainbridge ambulance on the next ferry.

The Good Samaritan received medical treatment at the scene and was released, Carpenter said.

The fire department’s fire boat, along with the Bainbridge Island Police Department’s marine unit and the Coast Guard responded to the fire, which was visible from shore.

The Bainbridge fire boat was able to get water on the blaze before the boat sank, Carpenter said.

Bainbridge Harbormaster Tami Allen was also at the scene, and reportedly told authorities that the boat did not have an engine or fuel tanks.

“Water pollution is not a concern,” Carpenter said.

The cause of the fire is unknown, said Carpenter, who is also the Bainbridge Island Fire Marshal.

The harbormaster will be contacting a salvage company to have the sunken boat recovered, he added.