On Thursday evening, a fire broke out on the Staten Island Ferry in New York City. In response, the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) and the U.S. Coast Guard for New York City and the Tri-State area launched a massive water rescue operation to help evacuate the 667 passengers from the burning ferry. Tragically, five people were injured during this incident, with three transported to Richmond University Medical Center and two treated at the scene.
The FDNY shared in a statement that first responders were alerted to a fire in the ferry’s mechanical room at 5:18 p.m., local time on Thursday night. They further reported that all 667 passengers aboard had been evacuated onto other vessels which then took them to St. George terminal where they received medical attention if necessary. It is unclear how long it took for all of these vessels to be filled and make their way back to shore, but it can be assumed that it was a long process due to the sheer number of passengers involved in this evacuation effort.
The Coast Guard also tweeted confirmation of their involvement in this rescue mission, stating that they “responded to a ferry fire with multiple assets including helicopters, small boats, & cutters; working alongside @FDNY”. This tweet was followed by an update that included an image of four Coast Guard vessels surrounding the burning ferry as it was anchored in the harbor waiting for firefighters to extinguish its flames and investigate its cause. So far there is no information about what caused this fire or how much damage was done before it was put out.
Thankfully no lives were lost due to this incident thanks largely in part to the quick thinking and swift action taken by both FDNY firefighters and US Coast Guard personnel who responded immediately when alerted to this emergency.
