The waters off Venice beach Sunday were calm and sparkling, giving no hint of the near-tragic drama over the weekend that endangered a half-dozen people aboard a burning boat.
Los Angeles County Fire Department lifeguards rescued six
people from a sailboat that was fully engulfed in flames off Venice Beach,
including a 4-month-old baby, and a county fire boat extinguished the
blaze, fire officials said.
The fire was reported at 3:20 p.m. Saturday in the water off of 1200 Ocean Front
Walk, Los Angeles County Fire Department Dispatch Supervisor Art Marrujo said.
The fire was out by 3:40 p.m., Marrujo said.
The boaters jumped from the burning yacht into the water, officials said.
The mother held her baby as she jumped, and both went underwater and
then came up, a lifeguard told KNBC4. The lifeguard took the baby and swam to
the lifeguard boat, handing the baby to his captain. He then went back to the
boat to help rescue the adults.
The mother and baby were taken to a hospital to be examined, he said.
Smoke from the burning boat could be seen for miles from the site of the incident.
—City News Service