Dozens Flee as Party Ship Is Engulfed in Fire in Harbor

Dozens of partygoers had to swim for their lives Saturday night when a chartered cruise boat caught fire during a corporate Christmas party in the middle of the harbor at Marina del Rey.

The craft, the Sundowner, which usually has 60 to 80 passengers, was gutted by the 9:15 p.m. fire. Many on board had to dive off the burning ship and swim 60 feet to the dock.

More than an hour after the fire began, the boat was still on fire as authorities were unable to extinguish the blaze.

There was no immediate report of the cause of the fire or extent of the injuries, but authorities sent nearly a dozen ambulances to the scene. One source reported several people with injuries.

Dozens of partygoers, escaping the ship, swam to the docks of the nearby Santa Monica Yacht Club, and came inside to be wrapped in blankets and await treatment.

Some had suffered burns in the accident, said Fred Brown, a club spokesman.

Several people described harrowing scenes that included victims who did not know how to swim frantically scrambling for shore.

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Brown said the Sundowner is a very popular cruise boat in the marina. It was being rented by Trust Company of the West, one of Los Angeles’ largest money management firms, for a Christmas party, a source said.

Sheriff’s deputies quickly corralled the passengers in a large yacht club room and began questioning them about what happened, while paramedics arrived about 10 p.m. and began tending to the injured.

Authorities released no information, concentrating instead on keeping all victims in one location so they could interview them.

“There’s still more of them coming out of the water there, they’re swimming to the dock,” Brown said an hour after the fire began.

Many charter boats operate from the marina, offering harbor tours, dinners and party cruises.