2 men rescued after boat catches fire near Sunshine Skyway Bridge

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL – The Coast Guard said two men were rescued after their boat caught fire in the waters off St. Petersburg last week.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, the blaze erupted on the 60-foot vessel as it was east of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge on Thursday.

The boat owner made a call on the marine distress channel to report the engines had gone up in flames and all available fire extinguishers had been used, officials said. The Coast Guard sent two response boats to the scene, and a Hillsborough County Fire Rescue marine unit also responded.

The crews were able to rescue the boat owner and his passenger, who were not injured. They were taken to O’Neill’s Marina.

Cmdr. Shawn Lansing, deputy commander of Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg, released a statement that read in part, “We are glad that the mariners realized they were in distress, and we were able to be there quickly along with Hillsborough County Fire Rescue. Ultimately the mariner’s quick actions led to our success.”

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