FIRE ON POWERBOAT AT PLYMOUTH SOUND

Brixham Coastguard sent a lifeboat, a coastguard rescue team and two fire crews to the aid of a 25ft powerboat off the Mountbatten Breakwater in Plymouth this afternoon after the skipper reported a fire in the vessel’s engine compartment.

At 5.09 pm the skipper of the powerboat ‘Delta Flyer’ called Brixham Coastguard to report that he had spotted smoke coming out of the engine bay.  He had closed the engine compartment, located the fire extinguisher and he and his wife had both donned their lifejackets.  Brixham Coastguard passed some safety advice onto them (requesting that they shut down their engine and batteries as the boat had a petrol engine) and requested the launch of the Plymouth RNLI lifeboat, also sending the Plymouth Coastguard Rescue Team to the quayside.

Once on scene, the lifeboat towed the powerboat into Yacht Haven Quay in Clovelly Bay, where they were met by the coastguard rescue team and fire crews from Plymstock and Greenbank, who manned the fire-fighting boat ‘Vigiles’.  The fire crews then investigated the fire (locating a small fire in the engine bay due to the overheating oil) and, at 6.37 pm reported that it had been extinguished.

David Colmer, Watch Manager, Brixham Coastguard, said:

“The two people on board the Delta Flyer did absolutely the right thing by closing the compartment in order to isolate the fire, donning their lifejackets and calling the coastguard.  You should always carry fire extinguishers on board any vessel, and an engine room fire suppression system can also help in fighting fires on board.”

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