Three people and two dogs jumped overboard Saturday from a yacht that went up in flames near New Castle, New Hampshire.
New Hampshire State Police told WMUR a citizen rescued the group from the water and took them to a hospital. The group was later reunited.
The pet dogs were okay and also went to the hospital, according to Sgt. Steve O’Conner of the New Hampshire State Police Marine Patrol. “When they were discharged the dogs were out there waiting for them. They’re all reunited, and everybody is just fine,” he said.
In a social media post Saturday evening, the New Hampshire State Police shared photos of the incident, which happened on the Piscataqua River, adding that officials responded in minutes:
“The vessel, ‘Elusive,’ a 70-foot 2007 Marlow, was heading toward Wentworth Marina when a passenger noticed black smoke below deck. According to passengers, within minutes the boat completely filled with smoke,” the agency’s press release said.
The release identified the three passengers as Arthur Watson, 67, Diane Watson, 57, and Jarrod Tubbs, 33.
“The vessel drifted out of the harbor with the outgoing tide across the state line into Maine. Efforts by several agencies to save the boat were unsuccessful. Within two hours of the initial call, the boat sank in waters off Kittery, ME,” the release continued.
The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services searched on Sunday for oil from the boat.
Although law enforcement said the vessel would not be recovered, crews from Maine joined with the coastguard to retrieve its fuel tanks to avoid leaks.
First Coast Guard District also shared photos of the scene:
Officials did not know what caused the blaze and would probably never know, O’Conner explained, because there was nothing left of the vessel.
The passengers sustained minor injuries during the incident, but lost all of their belongings.
“This boat was their home. They lived on this boat, so everything they owned was gone,” O’Conner noted.