Newfoundland couple escapes injury after boat catches fire in Georgia Straight
By Nelson Daily Staff
A couple from Newfoundland are lucky to escape injury when their 1987 ‘Hershine’ fiberglass pleasure vessel caught fire Wednesday (June 11) in the Straight of Georgia, approximately one kilometer from Gossip Island.
Coast Guard and Outer Gulf Islands R.C.M.P. received the Mayday call at approximately 4 p.m.
The call of a fire on the 52-foot length came from the couple.
A whale watching boat and a small fishing boat happened to be in the area and were first on scene. The operators managed to get the couple and their dog safely off the ship safely.
When the R.C.M.P. vessel and Coast Guard hovercraft arrived at the scene, the boat was fully engulfed in flames.
The couple was transported to Galiano Island where they boarded a B.C. Ferry back to the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal.
The Newfoundland couple was just coming back from a weeklong trip in the San Juan Islands on route through Active Pass to Steveston.
The fire is believed to have started in one of the two diesel engines on board.
The couple was extremely lucky to have escaped as they had experienced great difficulty releasing their small dingy from the main vessel.
The R.C.M.P. would like to acknowledge and thank the assistance from the other boaters.
The boat eventually sank as a result of this fire.
