CLEVELAND (WJW) – A boat fire near Cleveland was extinguished by Jet Skiers Tuesday night, and was streamed on Facebook Live.
It was David Peguero’s first time out on his Jet Ski this season.
“We were out riding and we saw the smoke,” Peguero said.
“Me and my three friends drove out. I saw the captain of the burning boat getting off onto another fisherman’s boat. So that’s when I got real close and thought, let’s save the boat,” said Peguero.
Kelvin Toro of Cleveland got in line behind Peguero as they surrounded the boat and started splashing it with their Jet Skis.
“I was ready. Let’s go. At first I was just focused on making big waves and splashing it down,” said Toro.
The Facebook Live video shows Peguero, Toro, and another Jet Skier taking turns putting out the flames.
“If we would have waited, the boat would have sank. It took the coast guard 10-15 minutes to show up,” said Peguero.
But the Coast Guard, while appreciative of the men’s actions, has since warned that they could have been putting themselves in harm’s way.
“The Coast Guard’s first priority is always to ensure the safety of all mariners. In this case the people who had been on the burning boat had already been removed from the vessel,” said Chief Petty Officer John Masson in a statement. “So while we appreciate the Good Samaritans’ efforts, the Coast Guard definitely discourages people from putting themselves at great risk from a potential fuel explosion in hopes of preserving what remained of the boat.”
No one was hurt.