5 Fishermen Saved in the Gulf After Their Boat Caught on Fire

Fox 13 News reports that on Saturday, five men on a fishing boat out in the Gulf of Mexico needed rescue, first from a good Samaritan and then from the Coast Guard, after their vessel caught on fire. The incident took place 16 miles from Crystal River in Florida, north of Tampa.

The fishermen were able to abandon their 76-foot-long boat and get into a small orange life raft before their whole fishing vessel was engulfed in flames. WFLA says that they were initially rescued by another boat that happened to be nearby. The good Samaritan hoisted them from the raft and kept them safe until the Coast Guard was able to reach the scene shortly afterward. At this time, the cause of the fire is unknown or hasn’t been reported.

The billowing smoke and fire and actions taken by the Coast Guard can be seen in a quick video uploaded here. Watching a clip that shows the entire boat in flames with thick black smoke cascading into the air is a harrowing sight when you consider that the five men were stranded on board just before the potentially deadly fire spread.