Sailing Club Members Use Duffy Boats to Rescue Tourists

Nineteen passengers on a cruise through Newport Harbor on Friday were safe after smoke started coming from the tour boat they were aboard, the Newport Beach Fire Department reported.

Firefighters at about 12:30 p.m. responded to a call about a possible boat fire near the Lido Island Bridge. When they arrived, they found that the passengers on the boat—called the Showboat—had been taken ashore by Windward Sailing Club members, who used to evacuate the tourists after seeing smoke coming from the Showboat and hearing passengers yelling about a fire, according to Fire Department spokeswoman Jennifer Schulz.

Once on dry land, passengers were evaluated by lifeguards and fire personnel, Schulz said. None of the passengers complained of injuries, she said. Authorities boarded the Showboat and confirmed that there was no fire, Schulz said.

"They're going to continue their tour now on the Queen,'' another tour boat, Schulz told City News Service.

The cause of the smoke is not yet known, said Charlie Mass, office manager at Fun Zone Boat Company. The boat's owner, he said, is inspecting the vessel with someone from the Coastguard to determine what happened.