Officials have released additional details about the response to a boat fire that injured three people on Lake Elsinore on the evening of Saturday June 13.
According to CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department, the victims of the boat fire were rescued by a bystander aboard a nearby vessel after the fire broke out in the middle of the lake.
The bystander transported the victims to shore, where fire personnel were waiting to provide medical treatment and facilitate transport to a local hospital, fire officials said.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said its deputies assigned to weekend boat patrol on June 13 had completed their shift before the fire was reported at 6:27 p.m.
“There was about a 25-minute delay before the licensed boat pilot responded to the launch to assist,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
The Sheriff’s Office contracts with the city of Lake Elsinore to provide boat patrols on weekends from April to September, with varying patrol times. The Sheriff’s Office said incidents on the lake are handled through coordinated efforts with CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department. Fire officials assist with patient care, fire suppression and other life-safety hazards.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
