Fire at sea: US Coast Guard rescues two from commercial boat fire near Salish Sea

CLALLAM COUNTY, Wash. — The U.S. Coast Guard, Puget Sound Sector rescued two from a life raft after a fire broke out on the commercial boat they were on.

On Tuesday, the Sector Command Center of the U.S. Coast Guard received a call from a boat about 3 nautical miles from Cape Flattery reporting a fire on board.

Five miles off Tatoosh Island, near the Makah Tribal Reservation, the TARKA II reported an emergency before abandoning the boat and getting onto a life raft.

A Motor Lifeboat from Coast Guard Station Neah Bay rescued the two people in the raft and brought them back to shore.

On Wednesday morning, the USCG along with tribal partners returned to the area and confirmed that the TARKA II fire was extinguished.

According to the USCG, there is no indication that any of the fuel has spilled into the ocean and with the assistance of the Washington State Department of Ecology, they are continuing to monitor for spills.

The owner is working with his insurance company to get the boat back.

In the meantime, nearby boats are being warned that the TARKA II is afloat and adrift in the sea.

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