26 Rescued from Burning Fishing Boat off North Carolina

The U.S. Coast Guard rescued more than two dozen people on a charter fishing boat off the North Carolina coast after a fire broke out on the vessel.

Lt. Cmdr. Eric King of the U.S. Coast Guard base in Charleston says there were no injuries among those aboard the 41-foot boat, the Miss Calabash II out of Calabash, N.C.

A distress call was received about 8:40 a.m. July 30 from the vessel, which was about 17 miles off Little River on the North Carolina-South Carolina state line.

A Coast Guard helicopter and two small Coast Guard boats were dispatched. King says the 23 passengers and crew of three were safely put aboard two passing fishing boats.

King said the boat was eventually engulfed in flames and sank. The Coast Guard said it was up to the owner whether there would be an attempt to recover the wreckage.
___

Information from: WBTW-TV, http://www.scnow.com