Sixty people were rescued Monday after a boat going travelling along the Bay of Plenty off the coast of New Zealand got into plenty of trouble, catching fire and forcing passengers to jump overboard to avoid the raging flames, according to authorities. Officials say the fire aboard the boat, called the "PeeJay," occurred at around 3:45 p.m. as it was returning from White Island to the town of Whakatane, reported ABC News. It's not clear what caused the boat catch on fire, but a witness on the shore spoke to local media, telling them what he saw.
The witness, Whakatane resident Roger White, noted it was raining at the time of the incident, but he was able to see a little smoke coming from the front of the ship which soon became heavier. However, 10 minutes later the cabin burst into flames that soon engulfed the entire ship, prompting the 53 passengers and seven crew members to jump to safety.
Police spokeswoman Kim Perk was able to go into greater detail as to what happened during the incident, revealing that the crew sent a dispatch signal shortly before abandoning the ship, prompting the New Zealand Coastguard, who in turn sent out a signal requesting assistance, to come to their aid.
"A general call went out for any boats to assist and there was an immediate response from local charter operators," the police statement said, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. "Four large vessels and Coastguard were present at the scene very quickly."
Together they were able to rescue everyone who they presumed was involved in the incident, and a subsequent helicopter sweep of the water and the passenger manifest confirmed that everyone had been accounted for.
Most of the people were transported to a triage center on Whakatane Wharf, while only two, a crew member and passenger, needed to be hospitalized for minor injuries and smoke inhalation, according to The Detroit News.
Authorities were thankful for the assistance of local operators, saying their response undoubtedly saved the lives of those on board.
