Thick black smoke billows from a 24-foot Bayliner cabin cruiser that caught fire off the Coast of Cayucos while under tow by the Coast Guard. Photo courtesy USCG
A small motorboat that was under tow by the Coast Guard on Saturday, July 5 caught fire and sank off Cayucos forcing the rescue of four people on board.
According to a USCG news release, Coast Guard “watch standers” got a report of a disabled boat about 200-300 yards offshore of Cambria. Sta. Morro Bay sent a 47-foot surf rescue boat to the scene and the 24-foot, Bayliner, cabin cruiser, was taken under tow by the 47’s crew preventing the boat from going on the rocks.
At about noon, with the Bayliner being towed back to Morro Bay, where they’d originally launched from, fire broke out in the Bayliner’s engine compartment.
The Coast Guard released the towrope and ordered the four people on board to don lifejackets and abandon ship.
Meanwhile, a Harbor Patrol boat with a water cannon mounted on the bow responded to the scene and was able to douse the fire. However, the Bayliner sank about 4 miles off Cayucos, inside the Estero Bay waters.
Smoke from the fire could be seen for miles and social media lit up with photos taken from shore. A photo of the boat before the Harbor Patrol arrived, was released by the Coast Guard and shows a thick column of black smoke billowing across the water.
The four people on board were rescued from the water by the crew of the 47, and taken to Morro Bay Harbor where they were treated and released. One of them suffered second-degree burns and was taken to the hospital for further treatment.
None of the Coast Guard or Harbor Patrol personnel were injured.
As for the cause, according to a report in the SLO Tribune, Coast Guard spokesman, Richard Uranga said while they were towing the disabled boat, the owner tried to restart the engine, but the anchor rope was reportedly tangled in the prop. The fire began shortly after that failed attempt.
The Coast Guard did not say exactly where the boat sank, but depending on the location it could be in 15-35 meters of water.
