A retired Navy personnel whose US$ 100000 uninsured yacht was ruined by fire told that those onboard left to save themselves as huge flames engrossed the vessel He added that other yachts that were sailing past did not offer them to help.
Sixty-four year old Graham Marr was out on a sail along Port River with his family friends when the thirty-six foot yacht became engulfed in fire in the Barker Inlet, near St Kilda channel north of Adelaide, Australia.
The coastguard got a distress call around lunchtime that a yacht caught huge fire. The Metropolitan Fire Service sent their patrol vessel Gallantry to deal with the blaze. Mr Marr told that the timber caught alight in the engine room and a young lady onboard – a little girl – first noticed it and she rushed in and gave them warning that there was smoke. The shut the engines down immediately and they went straight to anchor, got everybody off. There was nothing they could do, they set off all the fire extinguishers they had on board.
Emergency services stated earlier that other vessels had gone to the group’s help, but Mr Marr told that they got no help. A large number of boats went past them. Interestingly, they saw smoke coming out and kept going. It was his joy and pride. He is retired, and that boat was his outlook on life.