A “Good Samaritan” Saved Five People from a Burning Boat Off Martha’s Vineyard

U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Joseph Belladue

The Coast Guard is thanking a “good Samaritan” who they say rescued five people from a burning boat that caught fire off Martha’s Vineyard, 18 miles south of the Nomans Land island on Sunday.

Officials say the boat, a 32-foot-long recreational boat named Finale, burst into flames at some point before 10 a.m. It was at that time that the rescuer, who has not been identified, contacted the Coast Guard to report the fire and let authorities know he’d rescued five people.

This was a serious fire. A photo captured by the Coast Guard shows a charred boat fully covered in flames and belching black smoke. The blackened vessel was salvaged by a company that specializes in pulling wrecked boats out of the water.

None of the boat’s passengers were injured—a statement says the Coast Guard showed up in a boat of their own and determined they are “in good health.”