Four people were hospitalized after a vessel went up in flames off the coast of Long Beach on Friday evening. The Long Beach Fire Department responded to reports of a 30-foot boat engulfed in flames near the iconic Queen Mary, as ABC7 reported. The boat was situated approximately 100 feet offshore, sandwiched by the Queen Mary and Hotel Maya at the time of the incident.
Seven individuals were part of the mishap; they were seen in a dinghy near the burning vessel. The Long Beach Fire Department, according to NBC Los Angeles, tended to these people for various injuries. While four were transported to local hospitals, three refused medical transport. The exact condition of the hospitalized individuals remains unknown.
Firefighting units managed to subdue the flames by around 8:15 p.m., as noted in the ABC7 coverage, not neglecting the dense plumes of black smoke that had billowed from the craft before their arrival. In the aftermath, the charred remains of the boat were towed to a yard near Fire Station 21 in Alamitos Bay.
Officials continue to examine what led to the fiery encounter, with the cause of the blaze still under investigation. CBS News reported on the ongoing investigation. Amidst the cooling ashes of this marine calamity, questions smolder as to the origin and circumstances that preceded the fire, an incident that has left the Long Beach boating community alert and awaiting answers.
