Fire clears boat
100 evacuated near Governor’s Island
AN ENGINE FIRE erupted on a sightseeing boat near Governor’s Island Friday, forcing the evacuation of nearly 90 people — and the captain’s dog.
The FDNY, U.S. Coast Guard and the NYPD Harbor Unit evacuated 80 people, four crew members and the captain’s pooch from the boat after getting distress calls at 11:30 a.m., officials said.
The vessel was returning from the Statue of Liberty and was a few hundred feet from the Battery Tunnel vents where the Hudson and East Rivers meet when the smell of smoke started wafting through the cabin.
The boat came to a stop and soon the captain’s voice reported over the loudspeaker that there were engine problems, passengers said.
A swarm of police and FDNY boats surrounded the stricken vessel as choppers flew overhead.
“At that point, we were saying it’s something serious,” said Zubair Ali Khan, 30, from Toronto.
Firefighters boarded the vessel and extinguished the fire in the engine room, Anthony Gallo, the boat’s captain , told The News.
Passengers, who were instructed by Gallo and his crew on how to don personal flotation devices, were moved toward the rear of the vessel and helped onto police boats.
Some passengers saw smoke but no fire.
“The thing was so organized I wasn’t panicked at all,” said Khan. “We knew we were in good hands.”
Khan’s friend Rehan Haider, 30, agreed.
“The police made us feel very comfortable,” Haider said. “It was a cool experience.”
Rescue workers brought the passengers to Pier 11 in the Financial District. No injuries were reported.
The dog wasn’t removed with the passengers because it’s owned by the captain. It left the vessel after the boat was towed to Pier 17, officials said.