1 critically hurt after boat fire near NYC's Hart Island forces nearly 2 dozen into water

CBS News

4 hours ago

A boat fire near Hart Island forced nearly two dozen people into the water Saturday night, and one person is reported to be in critical condition.
FDNY Assistant Chief Mike Meyers said routine marine patrols came across the boat fire near the east end of the island around 8:30 p.m. The crews noticed multiple people in the water and called for more emergency responders.
According to Meyers, three people had to be pulled from the water. One of those victims was last reported to be in critical condition. The other two are expected to be OK.
Nineteen other people were able to swim to shore on their own, Meyers said. They were then taken to a local hospital to be checked out.
Meyers said responding to incidents on the water is very difficult.
"We have to get those patients from the water or from boats onto the land and coordinate the land units and EMS units as to where those marine boats are gonna be bringing them," he said. "So it's an incredibly complex operation. Multiple agencies are always involved just like tonight."
The cause of the boat fire is under investigation.