Yacht Catches Fire In NH's Piscataqua River, Sinks Off Coast Of Maine

NEW CASTLE, NH — Three people and two dogs were rescued after a yacht they were riding on caught fire on the Piscataqua River and later sunk near Kittery, Maine.

Around 4 p.m., 911 dispatch received a call about a boat on fire in the river near Little Harbor in New Castle. The yacht, a 70-foot 2007 Marlow named “Elusive,” was heading to the Wentworth by the Sea Marina when a passenger noticed black smoke below deck, Amber Lagace, a public information officer for the department, said.

“According to passengers, within minutes, the boat completely filled with smoke,” she said. ‘Three passengers, as well as two family dogs, jumped overboard as the boat became engulfed in flames.”

Arthur Watson, 67, of New Canaan, Connecticut, Diane Watson, 57, of New Canaan, CT, and Jarrod Tubbs, 33, of Jupiter, Florida, were all rescued by nearby boats and taken to shore.

All three were transported to Portsmouth Hospital, where they were treated and released, Lagace said.

The agencies assisting the Marine Patrol included the U.S. Coast Guard, the Newington, Rye, Portsmouth, and Salisbury MA fire departments, and the Kittery Harbor Master. The cause of the fire is unknown, Lagace said.

Anyone who was a witness or has information related to this incident is encouraged to contact New Hampshire State Police-Marine Patrol Sergeant Stephen O’Connor at Stephen.J.O’Connor@dos.nh.gov or 603-227-2117.

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