Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Mackay, Idaho — Two people were rescued after a boat they were on exploded and caught fire.
This happened on the Mackay Reservoir in Idaho on Friday. Deputies from the Custer County Sheriff's Office responded to the incident at 8:45 p.m.
Two people were on a 23-foot Cabin Cruiser when the incident occurred. Pictures show a big plume of black smoke with orange flames on the water.
The two people were unable to get life jackets due to the fire. They abandoned the boat and jumped into the 52-degree water, the sheriff's office said in a news release.
Another boater rescued them and brought them to shore. They were evaluated and treated by Mackay Ambulance. One person was burned but declined medical transport, the sheriff's office said.
"State Law requires life jackets be readily available, which has been defined to be within arms reach for anyone not required to be wearing a life jacket," the sheriff's office reminded.
The boat was consumed by the fire and sank in 52 feet of water. The cause of the explosion and fire was not released but EastIdahoNews.com reached out to the sheriff's office and will update this article if there is more information.
