Accident Description from BAR sumbitted by Game Warden 1: While cruising towards the city of Port Aransas in the Corpus Christi Ship Channel, the engines of the vessel died out.  P1 stopped the vessel to check out the motors and the boat started up and ran okay.  While continuing to cruise down the channel, P1 smelled a burning odor coming from the engine compartments. P1 went to look into the compartment and when he opened the hatch to the engines, and explosion occurred.  P1 was burned and went overboard.  The passenger deployed the life raft and assisted P1 into it. The Coast Guard was in helicopter was conducting a traning excerise and immediately responded to airlift P1 to hospital. A Coast Guard vessel picked up the passenger. 


NEWS STORY:
Coast Guard rescues two from burning boat in Corpus Christi

06:58 PM CDT on Saturday, September 12, 2009

khou.com staff reports 

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas--The Coast Guard rescued two men from a burning fishing vessel in Corpus Christi Bay on Saturday. 

A Coast Guard HH-65C rescue helicopter was in the air when the crew spotted the billowing smoke coming from a fishing vessel in the Intercoastal Waterway at 2:10 p.m. 

The helicopter crew diverted and found two people in a life raft next to the burning fishing vessel. The crew then lowered the rescue swimmer into the water to assess the situation.  One of the men was immediately taken away after sustaining burns to 20 percent of his body and showing signs of shock. 

The rescue swimmer and the other survivor were left on scene with a Good Samaritan boat and a rescue boat crew from Coast Guard Station Port Aransas.  An HU-25 Falcon jet circled overhead while a second HH-65C rescue helicopter crew was diverted to recover the rescue swimmer and the second survivor. 

The rescue helicopter crews transported both men to Spohn Memorial Hospital in Corpus Christi. 

The condition of the first man is unknown. The second man was reported to be in stable condition.
Corpus Christi                