Four people have been rescued after a boat caught fire off the coast of Dún Laoghaire, prompting a major multi-agency emergency response in Dublin Bay.
The incident unfolded at around 3.45pm, when the occupants of an 11-metre pleasure craft contacted the Irish Coast Guard to report a fire onboard.
At the time, the vessel was located approximately 1.5 miles north-east of Dún Laoghaire harbour, with eyewitnesses describing large plumes of thick black smoke rising into the sky as the blaze took hold.
The Marine Rescue Coordination Centre in Dublin quickly tasked Dún Laoghaire RNLI, with a lifeboat arriving on scene within 11 minutes, at approximately 3.56pm on Saturday, April 18.
Both inshore and all-weather lifeboats were deployed as the situation escalated, alongside support from Dublin Fire Brigade, the National Ambulance Service, An Garda Síochána, the Dún Laoghaire Coast Guard Unit, and vessels from Dublin Port Company.
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All four adults onboard were safely evacuated from the burning vessel and brought ashore to the RNLI station in Dún Laoghaire, where they were assessed by emergency services personnel, including HSE staff and firefighters.
It is understood that the individuals were largely unharmed, with no serious injuries immediately reported.
Witnesses described the vessel as being fully engulfed in flames shortly after 4pm, drifting eastward in busy coastal waters.
The fire rapidly intensified, with reports indicating that by 4.45pm, much of the yacht’s superstructure had been destroyed, leaving only the burning hull. A tug boat and other nearby vessels assisted efforts to contain the blaze, pouring water onto the stricken craft as it began to take on water.
By approximately 5.15pm, the fire had been brought under control. However, the damage proved catastrophic, and the vessel ultimately sank in Dublin Bay, according to a Coast Guard spokesperson.
The burning boat also posed a potential hazard to navigation, with at least two ships anchored in the bay forced to relocate as a precaution during the incident.
Authorities have confirmed that the circumstances surrounding the fire will now be examined, although there is no immediate indication of what caused the blaze. The vessel, described as a privately owned motor cruiser measuring between 30 and 40 feet, was completely destroyed.
The incident highlights the speed and coordination of Ireland’s maritime emergency response services, with multiple agencies working together to ensure all passengers were brought to safety in a matter of minutes.
