Five people were rescued from a boat fire off Murrells Inlet on Thursday morning. The U.S. Coast Guard received an alert that a boat was burning, and Murrells Inlet-Garden City Fire District crews responded around 11:15 a.m. The fire was extinguished about 20 minutes later, and all five people on board were rescued without injury.
Quick Response Time
The quick response time was due to the fact that district firefighters were already on the water for a multi-agency training exercise when the call came in. The training exercise was a coincidence that helped save the lives of the five people on the burning boat.
The Murrells Inlet-Garden City Fire District has a history of responding to water emergencies, including a 2014 incident where four people were rescued from a burning boat. The district has also invested in equipment such as a rescue drone to help with water rescues.
Importance of Safety Equipment
The incident highlights the importance of safety equipment and quick response times in emergencies like boat fires. The U.S. Coast Guard reported 3,887 recreational boating accidents nationwide in 2024, with 556 deaths and 2,170 injuries.
Boaters are advised to carry safety equipment such as life jackets and fire extinguishers, and to know how to use them in case of an emergency. The Coast Guard also recommends that boaters take a boating safety course to learn how to prevent and respond to emergencies.
The Murrells Inlet-Garden City Fire District is funded by taxpayers in both Horry and Georgetown counties, and provides fire and rescue services to the area. The district has four stations and covers approximately 25 square miles.
Original reporting: MyrtleBeachSC News — read the source article.
