GEORGETOWN, Maine — Two boaters jumped overboard to save themselves after a fire engulfed a 48-foot yacht off the Maine coast, the Coast Guard said. Several lobster boats came to the rescue, and one plucked the men out of the water.
The two unharmed men watched along with the lobstermen as the vessel burned and sank in 200 feet of water on Saturday off the coast of Seguin Island, near Georgetown.
“It was a very heartbreaking scene. It was really scary,” said Deb Kremer, who witnessed the fire and took photos from her boat.
The Coast Guard emphasized the importance of fellow boaters who came to the rescue, averting tragedy.
“The moral of the story: Without the good Samaritans responding to calls and helping the Coast Guard, some lives could’ve been lost on this incident. We credit the good Samaritans,” said Lt. j.g. David Letarte in South Portland.
The Coast Guard did not identify the two men aboard the yacht, the Titan. It was unclear where the yacht was based.
The Coast Guard estimated that it took roughly an hour for a rescue vessel to arrive on the scene after receiving a distress call about an engine room fire, during which time the boat burned down and sunk.