Two adults and three children were rescued after a boat caught fire on Kempenfelt Bay near the Tiffin Boat Launch on Canada Day, the deputy fire chief in Barrie, Ont., confirmed Thursday.
“Luckily enough, one of our apparatuses were in the area, and they actually passed by as they saw the incident occur or unfold,” Barrie fire Deputy Chief Ed Davis said.
“The people were either in the boat or just about to get out of the boat because of the flames, so passersby and citizens on the boats in the area had come to help.”
Barrie police spokesperson Peter Leon said it didn’t take long for the boat to become fully engulfed.
“Most importantly, the family that was on the boat, all five of them safely got out,” Leon said.
Davis estimates the cost of damages at between $8,000 and $10,000. He also notes the cause of the fire is undetermined.