When the staff at The Boat Rack Marina in Catawba County checked Saturday morning, they found the Denver Fire Department’s fire boat under water. Courtesy of the Denver Fire Department
DENVER – It was a lucky coincidence for the Denver Fire Department that its rescue boat came back into commission the day before its fire boat sank in Catawba County.
The staff at The Boat Rack Marina, where Fire Boat 13 was stored, found the boat under water and lying on its right side at about 9:30 a.m. Saturday, July 9. It’s unclear how the boat sank.
On June 24, fire officials found a hole in the engine of the rescue boat, apparently caused by a gunshot. That boat was taken in for repair and returned to the water on July 8.
Tow BoatU.S. brought the fire boat back to the surface by about 3:30 p.m.
Though the department reported Saturday afternoon that the boat would be unable to respond to calls for an undetermined period of time, Dion Burleson, public information officer for the Denver Fire Department, said Wednesday, July 13, that the department has resumed its coverage on the lake – but not with boat 13.
“We couldn’t ask for any better customer service,” Burleson said.
Officials from Lake Assault Boats, the boat’s manufacturer, came down from the company’s headquarters in Superior, Wisc., to bring a demonstration boat for the Denver department to use for free.
“Right now, we’re looking to have it back within eight weeks,” Burleson said. “They said this is the first boat they’ve ever had this happen to. Within two hours, they responded to our call and were preparing to bring the demo boat to North Carolina.”
In addition, the department reported the Cornelius Fire Department, which launched its fire boat in October, has a partnership with the Denver Fire Department to share coverage on the lake.
Fortunately, there hasn’t been a need for fire coverage on the lake lately.
“It’s been pretty quiet,” Burleson said. “It was out last on July 4, when we helped Charlotte-Mecklenburg police get a head injury victim to shore. There wasn’t anything that those firefighters did that caused this to happen.”
Burleson said they haven’t received an estimate yet for the cost to repair the boat, and the department’s insurance company is investigating the cause.
According to a news release, the department has found no reason to suspect a connection between this incident and the damage to the motor of the rescue boat, but they’re looking at all possible causes. A small amount of oil leaked from the boat when it sank, but workers contained and cleaned up the oil.
