Crew swims to safety after explosion causes boat to catch fire in Two Rivers Harbor

TWO RIVERS (WLUK) -- Saturday morning, boaters were forced to swim to safety after their boat caught fire in the Two Rivers Harbor.

According to the Two Rivers Fire Department, just before 11:00 a.m. Saturday, the fire department was dispatched to the harbor for a 32-foot charter fishing boat that was fully engulfed in flames and giving off heavy black smoke.

Officials say the boat crew noted an explosion and fire on the boat shortly before calling 911, and they escaped by swimming to shore.

"The TRFD was assisted on scene by the US Coast Guard whose quick actions secured the boat to the sea wall, which allowed fire crews to extinguish the flames from shore," the press release reads.

The release goes on to say that HazMat teams arrived to conduct chemical clean-up and containment and that efforts are being made to salvage the boat from the water.

The cause of the fire and explosion is still under investigation.