The quick action of some fishers helped to save boats docked in Milford Sound after a vessel caught fire early this morning.
Fire on a boat in Deep Water Basin, Milford Sound Photo: SUPPLIED/ Southland Regional Council
A recreational fishing boat used for accommodation was destroyed after it went up in flames.
A crew of fishers neighbouring the boat saw it catch fire and quickly alerted fire and emergency.
They then decided to do what they could to lend a hand.
Shane Nyhon and his fishing crew were coming in from crayfishing when they noticed a burning boat and bright orange flames on fisherman's wharf in Deep Water Basin, just before 4am.
Photo: SUPPLIED/ Southland Regional Council
His wife, Amber Nyhon, said they immediately sprung into action.
"They smelled smoke and saw the fire start so he rang me at about 6am this morning to say that one of his neighbouring boats had gone on fire, and they'd been awake all night trying to help the fire crew and also to save one of the other boats that was moored right beside them."
Local Fire and Emergency arrived shortly after.
As a remote area in Fiordland with limited cell phone reception and external help at least two hours away, volunteer firefighters and locals were used to having to tackle emergencies on their own.
The avalanche risk on the only road in to Milford meant a second crew from Te Anau had to be helicoptered in, and didn't arrive until three hours after the fire first started.
While local volunteers battled the blaze, Shane Nyhon and his crew managed to save another boat, the Sovereign from also burning.
Shane jumped from his boat to this one, landing in the water and burning his bottom.
Fishers rushed to put out a fire in Milford Sounds that broke out at onboard a boat in the early hours of 14 September, 2020. Photo: Supplied / Amber Nyhon
Other members of the crew managed to rescue him and then moor the Sovereign a safe distance from the burning boat.
Harbourmaster Lyndon Cleaver said the 11m recreational boat had been tied up for some time.
They planned on refloating it and removing it from the water by crane.
The boat had partially sunk and measures were in place to mitigate any oil spill.
"We have oil spill booms in and around the boats to contain any possible oil out of the vessel, which I understand is very minimal amounts and that's all being contained at the moment. Luckily, the vessel wasn't an operational vessel so it had a very minimal amount of fuel that was maybe sitting on the bottom of its fuel tanks."
No-one was on board at the time the fire broke out and the cause of the blaze was being investigated.
It was not being treated as suspicious.
