A 70 foot-yacht caught fire Saturday off the coast of New Hampshire, forcing its passengers and their dogs to jump overboard, police said.
Authorities received a 911 call shortly after 4:00 p.m. Saturday that a boat was on fire near Little Harbor in Newcastle, the New Hampshire State Police said in a press release. The boat, named “Elusive,” was reportedly heading toward a nearby marina when one of the passengers saw black smoke coming from below deck. A few minutes later, the yacht was taken over by the smoke, according to the press release.
Arthur Watson, 67, Diane Watson, 57, Jarrod Tubbs, 33, and two dogs were forced to jump overboard as the fire took over the vessel, according to the state police. By 5:37 p.m., the boat was completely engulfed by the blaze, according to Boston 25 News. (RELATED: Stranded Sailors Rescued By A Message In A Bottle)
BOAT FIRE ON PISCATAQUA RIVER
On Saturday, June 18, 2022 just after 4 PM, #NH E-911 received a call of a boat on fire on the Piscataqua River, near Little Harbor in Newcastle, NH. #NHSP #MarinePatrol were notified and on scene within minutes. pic.twitter.com/21VgMaVPUN
— New Hampshire State Police (@NH_StatePolice) June 19, 2022
Within minutes of the 911 call, Marine Patrol was on scene, the state police said. Law enforcement attempted to save the yacht as it floated across state lines into Maine, but it ultimately sank off the coast of Kittery after about two hours, according to authorities.
The three people were rescued by a nearby boat. They were taken to the hospital, where they were treated for minor injuries and hypothermia and later released, Boston 25 News reported. The New Hampshire State Police tweeted the dogs are “safe and doing well.” (RELATED: Fiery Boat Explosion Leaves 6 Injured On Docks Of Lake Lanier)
The cause of the fire is unknown as of Monday. New Hampshire State Police are encouraging witnesses or anyone with information related to the boat fire to contact Marine Patrol Sergeant Stephen O’Connor via email or phone.