Boat captain who saved 2 boaters from boat hearth in Miami Seashore speaks out – WSVN 7News | Miami Information, Climate, Sports activities
MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) – A boat on Biscayne Bay burst into flames Friday, with two Good Samaritans on a nearby boat rushing to help the two people on board.
Now, the boat captain who rescued the two stranded boaters shared how the events unfolded.
“I start telling the guy, like yelling at the guy like, hey, jump off the boat, jump off the boat, it’s gonna explode, it’s gonna explode,” said Santiago Stubrin, the boat captain and Good Samaritan.
Miami Beach Fire crews and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units responded to the boat fire underneath the Julia Tuttle Causeway before Alton Road on Friday night.
“Get away from the boat!” yelled a witness.
One of the boaters on the engulfed boat was able to make onto the concrete, while the owner of the boat had to jump into the water.
The owner was eventually pulled from the water by Stubrin and his passenger, and was unharmed.
The fire broke out Friday evening, during golden hour on Biscayne Bay.
Cellphone video shows the vessel engulfed by fire, with flames shooting out from the back of the boat. A massive plume of smoke was also seen rising high above the causeway, visible for miles.
Firefighters responded quickly and began dousing the boat with water to knock down the flames.
As the sun set, crews were out on the water looking at the charred vessel after the blaze was extinguished.
Now, the two boaters are headed home safe thanks to the quick actions from strangers on the water and first responders.
“My first thing was to just see what I could do, what I could help with, you know,” said Stubrin.
As of Saturday morning, there has been no word on what started the fire, as the investigation continues.
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