Coast Guard Rescues Two from Burning Sailboat

Two people were saved by the U.S. Coast Guard and a sailboat fire was extinguished by North Kingstown and Warwick firefighters in waters about a mile south of Sakonnet Point Monday afternoon.

The two passengers were equipped with a handheld radio and life raft, which enabled them to abandon ship as the fire spread through the 24-foot Northern Phoenix, sailboat registered in Ottawa, Canada.

Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England watchstanders got the distress call on VHF-16 radio at around 4 p.m.

A 45-foot Motor Lifeboat crew from Coast Guard Station Castle Hill in Newport launched and arrived at the scene at around 4:30 p.m.

The two passengers of the burning boat came aboard the Coast Guard vessel. Meanwhile, crews from the state Department of Environmental Management, the North Kingstown Fire Department and Warwick Fire Department arrived to put out the fire.

The Northern Phoenix was towed to port after the owner made arrangements with a commercial salvage company.

“The crew of the sailboat was well prepared with a life raft and a handheld marine radio,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Andrew Stokes, the operations unit controller at Sector Southeastern New England’s command center. “Having those tools available ensured a safe rescue.”

The Northern Phoenix, formerly named Slowpoke, was built in 1978 by Whitby Boat Works of Whitby, Canada. The 11.5-meter boat is equipped with a single 67-horsepower diesel engine and is owned by Bryan Haas of Cookstown, Canada