Overview
- The U.S. Coast Guard received a request for assistance Thursday morning from Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Trenton after reports of a 45-foot pleasure craft on fire with seven people aboard.
- Station Belle Isle launched its 29-foot Response Boat‑Small and the crew found the vessel still burning, observed all occupants wearing life jackets, and transferred them safely to Harbor Town Marina with no reported injuries.
- A commercial salvaging company later reported the burned boat sank to a charted depth of about 40 feet in the Detroit River and initial assessments showed no visible signs of pollution.
- Authorities have opened an investigation into the cause of the fire but officials have not yet released any findings about how the blaze started.
- The incident highlights cross-border rescue coordination on the international Detroit River and underscores the role of life jackets and rapid near‑shore response in preventing casualties.