Unmanned Boat Adrift On Fire In Copiague Harbor

An unmanned boat blazing with fire drifted down a canal in the heart of Copiague at 10:42 am today. Residents called out to see if there was a driver present, but no one was aboard the drifting vessel. The 31ft. pleasure boat floated north down the canal in the direction of Merrick Road until it hit up against a floating dock at on the west bank of a home on Dolphin Lane East, where two other boats were docked. In fear of the fire spreading to the dock and boats, neighbors frantically ran door-to-door to evacuate residents from their homes as the fire engulfed the unmanned boat. The Coast Guard arrived immediately and pulled the burning vessel away from the floating dock to an area where the Copiague Fire Department team could assist in putting out the flames.

The Coast Guard and Copiague Fire Department successfully extinguished the fire and protected many residents and homes in Copiague Harbor by their rapid response. Residents of Copiague Harbor are to be applauded for being alert to the situation, calling 911 and making neighbors aware of the dangerous situation.