Nine People Are Rescued From a Fishing Boat Fire Off the Outer Banks

A fishing boat fire off the Outer Banks of North Carolina illustrates how quickly things can go wrong at sea.

Nine people were on a fishing boat called the Twisted Tuna when a fire broke out on the vessel about 18 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras on June 21.

Fortunately, no injuries were reported thanks to the prompt actions of people on board a nearby boat. Petty Officer Joshua Canup of the U.S. Coast Guard said his command center was alerted to the fishing boat fire off the Outer Banks at around 4:30 p.m. from a boat called Predator.

By that time the nine people on board the burning boat – six passengers and three crew members – were being picked up by a boat called the Brother’s Pride. The Twisted Tuna had sunk by the time U.S. Coast Guard crews arrived, according to media reports.

Jimmy Temple from Chesapeake was on board the stricken boat. He later told the local media he was haunted by images of the sinking boat and those on board could have lost their lives.

Temple was on the fishing charter 11 miles offshore. His stepson Kollin Harris, was on the upper deck when the boat became engulfed in flames. The fire started in the engine.

Harris and Temple acted fast in making sure people on the burning boat got their life jackets on. When nearby boats headed toward them, Temple and Harris made sure people went overboard, a move that proved vital.

Shortly afterward the back of the boat blew off and it became fully engulfed in flames. The crew of Brother’s Pride took the boaters aboard and then to the Hatteras Village Marina.

This was a terrifying incident. We are relieved that no injuries were reported. When things go wrong offshore, events can quickly spiral out of control.

While it can be fun to go out on the water over the summer, the ocean is a dangerous place as illustrated by this fishing boat fire off the Outer Banks. Meanwhile, the fishing industry has an unenviable reputation as one of the most dangerous in the United States.

For four years running, from 2007 to 2010, the Bureau of Labor Statistics ranked commercial fishing as the most dangerous job in the country. From 2000 to 2010, the industry’s death rate was a staggering 31 times greater than the national workplace average.

In recent years, the logging industry has leapfrogged fishing as the most dangerous occupation.

At Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers, we represent people hurt in a wide range of boating accidents in Virginia and North Carolina. If you have been injured on a defective vessel or a dangerous charter boat trip, we want to hear from you.

Every year, people drown off the coast of Virginia or are injured on boats, ranging from jet skis to large charter vessels. Drunken boating remains a serious problem on the waters. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a boating accident, please call us at (757) 333-3333. I am licensed to practice law in Virginia and North Carolina.