WHIDBEY ISLAND — A yacht burned and sank off the west coast of Whidbey Island on Thursday, while the lone person aboard was taken to John Wayne Marina in Sequim, the Coast Guard said.
The unidentified man aboard the 42-foot yacht was reported to be in good health, said Petty Officer Jonathan Klingenberg in Astoria, Ore., on Thursday.
The man was taken to John Wayne Marina by a good Samaritan, Klingenberg said.
The yacht sank to about 390 feet, he said.
No debris, pollution
Coast Guard investigators reported that the boat left no marine debris, no pollution and that it would not constitute a navigational hazard because of the depth to which it had sunk.
The vessel fire was reported to the Coast Guard at about 6:10 p.m. Thursday.
The cause of the fire has not been determined, Klingenberg said.
The person aboard abandoned the boat in a dinghy.
A helicopter crew traveled from Port Angeles, while a boat was sent from Bellingham.
The boat fire as seen from Diamond Point at 6:30 p.m. Protection Island is in the foreground. (Stan McClain)
