HOUSTON — Two men swam to shore after the engine on their 25-foot pleasure craft caught fire and exploded near the Galveston Causeway, Friday.
"In this case the boaters were extremely lucky to not have been injured by the fire," said Lt. Cmdr. Jonathan Andrechik, the operations chief at Sector Houston-Galveston. "We encourage everyone to make sure their boats are ready to be out on the water have have readily available safety gear."
Shortly after launching from Payco Marina, the boat engine exploded causing one man to enter the water, while the other attempted to extinguish the flames. Unsuccessful, he grabbed his life jacket and swam back to the marina with the other man.
At approximately 5:20 p.m., railroad bridge personnel called Sector Houston-Galveston watchstanders stating that they could see a boat on fire, prompting watchstanders to launch a boat crew aboard a Coast Guard Station Galveston 45-foot response boat to assist.
Once on scene and realizing both men had swam to safety, the Station Galveston boat crew established a 100-yard safety zone around the boat which was still burning and drifting. Once the fire was out, SeaTow began salvage.
"Conditions out on the water can change rapidly so we encourage everyone to expect the unexpected," said Andrechik. "The Coast Guard Auxiliary offers free boating safety checks and is ready and willing to assist anyone with identifying all of the safety equipment they need to be out on the water."
Over Memorial Day weekend alone, Coast Guard units in Texas responded to eight instances of boats becoming disabled or taking on water. The Coast Guard urges all mariners to get their boats checked and ensure they are seaworthy before going on the water. The Coast Guard also wants to remind people to have their life jackets readily available, file a float plan and have a viable means of communication, like a marine VHF radio.
More information can be found at http://uscgboating.org/ and http://cgaux.com/ or by downloading the Coast Guard application onto your smartphone.