Man Rescued After Fire on Boat
The operator of a sport boat was rescued by a passing fishing vessel Thursday after a fire forced him to jump overboard off the coast of Santa Cruz Island.
Authorities said Joe Morin of Santa Barbara was in good condition after his escape, but his boat was not so fortunate.
The 32-foot Pot Luck burned to the hull about a quarter-mile from Santa Cruz Island, Coast Guard officials said. The fire burned itself out.
The fire started about 1:30 p.m. when an engine belt wrapped around an electrical wire and a fuel line, authorities said.
After realizing the fire was out of control, Morin sped toward shore to reduce the distance he would have to swim to safety, Coast Guard officials said. But the commercial vessel K.D. Louis spotted the fire and rescued him.
“He was lucky he got picked up,” a Coast Guard spokesman said. “That’s a long way to swim.”
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