A fiery incident occurred at Put-in-Bay yesterday afternoon when two boats were engulfed in flames in the harbor, according to multiple reports. One person sustained injuries during the incident and was transported to a hospital for medical attention.
According to Cleveland19, the blaze originated on a pleasure boat around 2:00 p.m., which subsequently drifted into another vessel, resulting in both catching fire. The local fire department, with assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard, extinguished the fires. Jake Dunfee, the owner of Rescue Marine - TowBoatUS, mentioned that the Towboat Charlotte Marie from his fleet was involved in the effort to put out the flames.
The injured individual, who has not been identified, was life-flighted from the island for medical treatment, as confirmed by Put-in-Bay Police Capt. Eric Seitz in an article by Cleveland.com. At the time of the police statement, details regarding the extent of the victim's injuries were unavailable.
"Around 2:30 p.m., firefighters were flagged down by security personnel near the dock when a boat being filled with gas exploded," reported News 5 Cleveland. This explosion led to the boat owner jumping into the water to escape the fire before the vessel drifted away, igniting another boat in its path. The owner was subsequently rescued and transported off the island by EMS services.
