BOAT WITH FOUR PERSONS ABOARD LEFT THE LAKE ST - BOAT LAUNCH AT IDLE SPEED. THEN FOLLOWING ABOUT 200 YARDS TRAVEL DISTANCE AT IDLE SPEED, THE BOAT OPERATOR PUT THE BOAT ON PLANE AT ABOUT 28 MPH. THE BOAT MOTOR RAN FOR LESS THAN A MINUTE AND STOPPED. OCCUPANTS SMELLED SMOKE AND OPENED THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. FIRE WAS OBSERVED AND OCCUPANTS ATTEMPTED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE WITH ON-BOARD FIRE EXTINGUISHERS. THE EFFORT WAS INSUFFICIENT -- THE FOUR OCCUPANTS THEN JUMPED INTO THE WATER. A PASSING FISHERMAN PICKED UP THE FOUR OCCUPANTS FROM THE WATER AND TRANSPORTED THEM TO SHORE. THE BOAT REMAINED ENGULFED IN FLAMES, THEN SANK TO THE LAKE BOTTOM WITH THE BOW SHOWING ABOVE THE WATER SURFACE. A CRANE WAS CONTRACTED AND REMOVED THE BOAT FROM THE LAKE BED. THE BOAT WAS ESTIMATED A TOTAL LOSS AT $93,000.
MIDDLETON                     