PROTECTION ISLAND — The Coast Guard has confirmed that the Kemo Sabay, whichburned for hours in the Strait of Juan de Fuca on Wednesday night, has sunk.
“At approximately 10:20 p.m. [Wednesday] night it went under,” said Mike Allen, controller for the Coast Guard.
“It burned until it sank.”
Three unidentified men were rescued off the burning and listing 65-foot shrimping vessel by passing fishermen from a boat out of Port Townsend on Wednesday night after a propane tank exploded and ignited the cabin.
Two of the rescued men were examined and released, and the third was flown by helicopter to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with burns to his body, according to an East Jefferson Fire-Rescue spokeswoman.
Condition unknown
The condition of the burned man remains unknown. Hospital personnel must have a name to release information about a patient’s condition.
Fire crews from the Coast Guard and East Jefferson Fire-Rescue attempted to extinguish the blaze upon arrival but stopped after about an hour.
Coast Guard Lt. Ron Owens said an investigation into the fire and sinking of the vessel was under way.
“What we did today was had an overflight to assess any type of impact to the area,” he said.
“We did determine there was a sheen on the water about half of a mile long.
“The source of what is causing it is unknown at the time, but we will do more overflights to determine that.”
Owens said the Coast Guard also would interview the owner of the vessel, the crew and eventually develop a salvage plan.
The fire burned for about five hours before taking the boat to the bottom of the Strait.
Rob Sutherland, who maneuvered his 17-foot fishing vessel into position to rescue the men, said the fire consuming the Kemo Sabay was so hot it burned a hole in the canvas covering his boat during the rescue.
Sutherland said the men he rescued told him they had rushed to the bow of the Kemo Sabay — owned by Scott Kimmel, who runs New Day Fisheries Inc. of Port Townsend — without grabbing flotation devices after a propane tank exploded and set the boat aflame.
“They were still in all their fishing gear,” Sutherland said.
“They would have gone straight to the bottom. Thank God we were around.”
The names of the men were not released by East Jefferson Fire-Rescue officials, who cited privacy concerns.
The Coast Guard’s Owens said he did not have the names of the three crew members as of Thursday night but expected to release them soon.
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Reporter Erik Hidle can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at erik.hidle@peninsuladailynews.com.
