A dramatic rescue unfolded in Elliott Bay after a boat explosion prompted a swift joint response from private citizens and emergency services, including the Coast Guard and Seattle Fire Department. The incident, which occurred near Duwamish Head Light, east of the Don Armeni Boat Ramp in West Seattle, was brought to public attention when MyNorthwest reported that a person aboard the vessel had to jump into chilly waters following the boat's engulfment in flames. Fortunately, a private boater was nearby to rescue the individual, who emerged unscathed from what could have quickly turned into tragedy.
Efforts to contain the blaze were complicated by factors that required Seattle fire crews to initially avoid quickly extinguishing flames due to safety concerns. As the fireboat worked alongside Coast Guard units near several state ferry routes, they managed to get "water on the fire," with the flames mostly knocked down shortly thereafter, according to a Seattle Times report. Crews were later seen using a pump to help with "dewatering the vessel" as they towed the charred remains toward Fourmile Rock for further assessment.
The incident also attracted the attention of passengers and crew aboard a Washington State ferry traveling from Bainbridge Island to Seattle, who witnessed the emergency efforts. A thick plume of black smoke, visible from miles around, rose into the sky above the bay and caught the eye of many onlookers along Alki Beach. Rick Boetel, a local witness, recounted to KOMO News, "It was a blaze I couldn’t make out the boat, it was just covered in flame."
Suzanne Shoemaker, a witness to the scene, detailed to the same news outlet the shock of driving up to a scene dominated by "a lot of fire trucks and big blue-black smoke." The unexpected nature of the blaze prompted concern from onlookers, with Boetel adding, "You don’t see many fires like that, and the first thing is you hope no one was caught in that fire." Courtesy of the admirably efficient responses from the Coast Guard and the Seattle Fire Department, the person aboard the boat was successfully brought to safety. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
