Commercial Mariner - Maritime Security

US Coast Guard, partner agencies, good Samaritans rescue four from burning boat near Ventura, California

Baird Maritime

The US Coast Guard, local partner agencies, and good Samaritans rescued four boaters whose vessel caught fire southwest of Ventura, California, on Sunday, August 9.

At approximately 09:30 local time, people aboard a recreational fishing boat contacted Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach watchstanders reporting their boat was on fire near Anacapa Island.

Watchstanders diverted a Coast Guard Station Channel Islands Harbor response boat-medium crew to assist. While the boat crew was en route, good Samaritans on another vessel arrived at the scene and brought the four people from the burning boat aboard their own.

Crews from the Ventura County Fire Department and the Los Angeles County Fire Department later arrived and extinguished the fire.

The coast guard boat crew transferred all four people to Station Channel Islands Harbor, where they were met by local emergency medical services personnel. One person was taken to St. John's Regional Medical Center in Oxnard.

All four were reported to be in stable condition.

A commercial vessel assistance company later towed the damaged boat back to shore.