STINSON BEACH, CA — Three people were rescued this week after the boat they were on near Stinson Beach caught fire, the U.S. Coast Guard said Sunday.
On Friday, a distress call came in from a good Samaritan who saw smoke coming from a vessel about 5 miles west of Stinson Beach that also had a person aboard waving their arms, the Coast Guard said.
The 32-foot boat was also taking on water.
As Coast Guard crews assembled, a good Samaritan vessel rescued all three people from the endangered craft, which subsequently sank.
The vessel's master reported that the vessel began taking on water rapidly through the stern engine compartment before sinking.
The Coast Guard arrived and transferred the three boaters into a motor lifeboat, though none of them required medical attention. They were then returned to their original point of departure.
The exact cause of the fire and sinking remains under investigation.
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