RedactedNarrative: On 5/24/2020, at approximately 13:45, I received a report of a boat fire at Pandora Marina on Herrington Lake from post 7 dispatch. The report stated there was one vessel involved and no fatalities or injuries. 7609 and I arrived on scene at Pandora Marina at approximately 14:42. Conditions were sunny, clear, light wind, and calm water. The water temperature was approximately 60 degrees and the air temperature was approximately 85 degrees. Upon arrival at Pandora, I visualized the owner, OPERATOR 1, standing on the dock with no apparent injuries. The owner stated that the vessel had completely submerged before we arrived on scene. The owner stated that he was testing out his boat for the first time and had just put it on the water in order to fuel it. He stated he was on the vessel by himself and his wife and child were waiting for him by the boat ramp. He stated it was uninsured and this had been the first time it had been on the water for any length of time. While he did not recall the registration number, he said the boat was a 23 foot, 1988 NOVA II with an  inboard 502 engine. He stated that he had been fueling his boat at the marina and had filled the tank completely. He untied from the dock, with the engine compartment open and the compartment blower on. The fuel pump attendants corroborated this statement. He then put his key in the ignition and started the boat, at which time he stated there was a loud boom and he was thrown into the dashboard of his boat. He stated he turned around to see flames around the engine and decided to jump into the water and swim for the marina. He swam to the marina dock and the boat drifted, still burning, to the opposite side of the lake. The owner stated that the boat continued to burn until it completely submerged, approximately 30 minutes before we arrived. After I gathered personal information, I investigated the area of the lake where the boat had submerged. The approximate location where the boat sank was 50 yards from the fuel pumps at Pandora Marina at the coordinates 73D44'39.8"N 84D42'01.1"W. There was no visible sign of the vessel at the sight. There was a heavy odor of fuel and burned plastic with large amounts of fuel visible on the surface of the water. There was a large amount of burned debris from the vessel visible on the surface of the water to include seats and pieces of the wooden boat interior. We attempted to locate the sunken hull of the vessel using our onboard sonar however the water depth was 80-100 feet and prevented us from getting a clear location. Initial damage estimates are $11,500 for the boat as a total loss.
  
  
  