On June 06, 2011 at approximately 1300hrs I was notified by Gray dispatch that there was a boat on fire on Ossipee Lake in Waterboro.  Gray notified me that two people were being transported by Waterboro Rescue to Goodall Hospital in Sanford but only one had suffered injuries.  Warden responded to the accident scene, along with Investigator from the Maine Fire Marshall’s Office.  I proceeded directly to Goodall Hospital to interview the victims.  

Operator stated that they put their 1986 19’ Renken in the water at the Ossipee Lake boat launch.  He says the battery was very weak so they put a battery pack on it and the boat started right up.  He further stated that nothing seemed out of the ordinary until they got approximately 200 yards off shore.  At this time they heard a squeal, sounding something like a loose belt, followed by a loud snapping sound.  Operator lifted up the engine cover and realized it was on fire.  He suffered his burns when he attempted to throw the engine cover overboard.  At this point he and his wife donned their life vests and Operator sounded the horn in an attempt to get someone’s attention.  Because the boat fire was increasingly becoming more severe, he and his wife jumped into the water and swam away from the boat.  After only a few minutes in the water another boater picked them up and transported them to shore.  They were notified by a person on shore (name unknown) that 911 had already been called.

Waterboro Fire Department arrived on scene at approximately 1320hrs and found the boat fully engulfed.  The wind had drifted the watercraft within 50’ of shore.  The Fire Department deployed fire suppression techniques but the boat moved back off shore and sank approximately 50 yards from shore. 


Waterboro                     