By Daniel Katzive
A motor boat caught fire and sank in the Hudson River Saturday afternoon around 3:30pm. The boat could be seen smoking heavily mid-river off 96th Street, as FDNY marine units and New Jersey-based fireboats sprayed water on the vessel. Despite their efforts, the boat had mostly sunk by 4:05pm.
According to an FDNY spokesman, all passengers had evacuated the boat by the time fire units arrived and there were no injuries. The fire department’s initial statement did not provide more details on how the passengers were rescued, though a number of civilian boats were on the scene before emergency services arrived.
We will provide more details as they become available.
Horrifying. I heard about it from Citizen but assume it wasn’t a big deal and the fire was extinguished quickly. It never crossed my mind it could lead to something that bad.
Very happy that everyone was evacuated.
Is Citizen a free app?
No you pay for it with anxiety.
Yes. They are trying to make some money by offering additional features but for now basic notifications are free.
I watched it unfold from my window. A nearby motor boat first picked up the passengers from the boat on fire. Shortly thereafter, a NYPD boat arrived on the scene and the passengers were transferred to it. A bit later and we saw a FDNY boat arrive to try and put out the fire.
If I had a decent telephoto lens I’d have pics available for the best source of UWS news, the Rag.
You might want to reach out to North River Lobster Co as they had a cruise boat with plenty of passengers taking photos for part of the rescue operation.
I saw this happening yesterday by my house. The boat was swallowed by the water fairly quickly it seemed. I was very concerned for the people on that boat/small yacht. Glad they were okay. Was horrified to see this. I took some pictures at around 3:30 when it happened.
Who, when and how will that boat be removed from the river bottom? With whatever fuel and who knows what on board it has to be an environmental hazard
Good questions. Please see our update published this morning.