Four men rescued from boat fire

Four men were rescued from a burning boat Sunday evening by the Mason County Sheriff’s Office Marine Patrol. 

The incident occurred at 6:26 p.m. when marine patrol deputies Spencer Lindbloom and Mark Willis were patrolling Pere Marquette Lake near the entrance to Ludington Municipal Marina and saw smoke coming from a 22-foot Crestliner Eagle Cabin and the men on the boat attempting to put out the smoke with buckets of water, according to police. 

Brian Harris, 50, of Rochester Hills, David Pinter, 52, of Davidson, Michael Williams, 49, of Burton, and Richard Harris, 53, of Oxford, were able to get onto the patrol boat to safety just after the engine exploded into flames, police said. 

All four men suffered minor burns and were treated by the Ludington Fire Department and the Ludington Police Department on shore, but were not transported to the hospital. 

Lindbloom pushed the burning boat away from the patrol boat for safety and the Ludington Fire Boat was able to extinguish the fire. 

The men reported to police that they attempted to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher, but the fire extinguisher was not working properly. 

Neither alcohol or drugs is considered to be a factor in the fire. The cause of the fire is unknown at this time. 

The Mason County Sheriff’s Office, Ludington Police Department, Ludington Fire Department and Life EMS all responded to the scene.