Coast Guard crews from Bellingham extinguish boat fire, while Good Samaritan rescues 2

U.S. Coast Guard crews from Bellingham extinguished a boat fire while a good Samaritan rescued two people that were on board at the time Wednesday morning in the San Juan Islands.

The Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound in Seattle received a report at 7:15 a.m. June 15 from San Juan County emergency dispatch after a caller reported a fire and an explosion aboard a vessel near Decatur Island, just east of Lopez Island, Coast Guard spokesperson Steve Strohmaier told The Bellingham Herald.

The person who called 911 was the wife of a good Samaritan, who after seeing the fire, got in his own boat and helped pull the two people who were aboard the burning boat at the time to safety, Strohmaier said.

After receiving the report, the 87-foot cutter Sea Lion, which is based in Fairhaven, and a 45-foot response boat from U.S. Coast Guard Station Bellingham sped to the scene, according to Strohmaier.

The crew aboard the Sea Lion extinguished the fire, while the response boat transferred the two survivors from the good Samaritan’s boat, Strohmaier said. The survivors were then transferred to another boat, where they were evaluated and it was determined they did not need any further immediate medical attention.

The explosion was from at least one propane tank aboard the burning vessel, according to Strohmaier, who added that the Coast Guard is working with the Department of Ecology to monitor any potential pollution from the incident.