Two Yachts Recovered After an
Incredible Blaze In Ft. Lauderdale
The beginning of 2015 brought nonstop action for the crew at TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale. When a fire broke out at a local Marina, crewmembers converged on scene to assess damage and begin devising a plan. Two of the worst casualties were a 78' Azimut and a 75' Sunseeker. Both yachts sustained extensive damage due to the fire and were deemed a total constructive loss by their respective insurance companies. To complicate matters, both vessels sunk in the process of fighting the fire and would need to be refloated before they could be hauled and blocked on land. Before the end of the first day, containment boom and absorbents were deployed and watch standers were assigned to keep bystanders at bay during the overnight hours.
TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale’s Director of Operations, Kevin Collins explained how the next few days played out. “After many hours of careful planning, we mobilized 2 large cranes, an Environmental cleanup contractor, a team of divers and our arsenal of salvage equipment to the site. Day one of the salvage operation involved collection and disposal of fuel and oil while divers assisted with rigging the Azimut for recovery. After a long day, the Azimut was blocked on the hard. A watch stander stayed on scene during the overnight hours and our tired crew went home for some rest. Day two involved more of the same in an effort to recover the Sunseeker! As another long day came to an end, we had a real sense of accomplishment once both boats were safe on land.”
TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale continues to assist with removal of contaminated water from the bilges, fuel from the tanks and the ultimate disposal of both casualties. See the images below for a photo album of the fire and the recovery process.
