AT 1353 HRS I WAS DISPATCHED TO THE FORREST RIVER FOR A BOAT ON FIRE AND FIVE PERSONS ON BOARD.  THE COFFEE BLUFF MRS UNIT RESPONDED TO THE SCENE.  UPON MY ARRIVAL ALL FIVE PASSENGERS HAD BEEN RESCUED FROM THE WATER BY THE MRS UNIT.  I SPOKE WITH THE OWNER/OPERATOR OF THE BOAT who STATED THAT HE WAS TAKING THE ATTACHED PERSONS FOR A BOAT RIDE TO SEE IF THEY WANTED TO BUY THE BOAT.  operator FURTHER STATED THAT THE BOAT STARTED TO RUN ROUGH AND NOTICED THAT THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE ENGINE'S COWL.  operator REMOVED THE COWLING.  operator STATED THAT WHEN HE REMOVED THE COWLING THAT THE ENGINE'S FIRE FLARED UP AND WAS SPITTING FUEL AND FLAMES ALL OVER THE BOAT.  ATTEMPTS WERE UNSUCCESSFUL TO PUT OUT THE FIRE.   operator ORDERED EVERYONE INTO THE WATER TO AVOID BEING BURNED BY THE GROWING FIRE.  operator STATED THAT APPROX 3 WEEKS AGO, HE HAD THE ENGINE REPAIRED (FUEL PUMP) AT THE BOAT CENTER IN SAVANNAH AND THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME HE HAD RUN THE BOAT SINCE THE REPAIR.
SAVANNAH                      