Bellevue resident rescues man from blazing boat on Lake Washington

Published 1:45 pm Thursday, December 17, 2009

A Bellevue resident jumped aboard his pleasure cruiser to rescue a man whose boat was in flames Thursday on Lake Washington between Bellevue and Mercer Island, according to the Bellevue Fire Department.

The victim, also a Bellevue resident, suffered from minor burns to the face and smoke inhalation, according to Mercer Island Police spokeswoman Leslie Burns. He was transported to Overlake Hospital.

The victim had donned a life jacket and was prepared to jump in the water when his rescuer arrived on a pleasure cruiser to pick him up.

The flaming watercraft was fully engulfed when crews from the Seattle and Mercer Island police departments arrived around 12:30 p.m. to douse the flames with fire fighting boats.

The burned vessel, a cabin cruiser roughly 35 feet in length, was towed to Newcastle Beach Park.

The owner said he opened the engine hatch while his boat was running rough, and the compartment burst into flames, according to Bellevue Fire Department spokesman Eric Keenan.

The names of the victim and rescuer were not available at the Reporter deadline through any of the agencies that responded to the incident.