Boater creates emergency by mistakenly filling bilge with fuel on Marco

Fire Chief Mike Murphy / Eagle i

Marco Island Fire Rescue fills a boat with foam to protect from harmful fuel flames after the owner filled a fishing box with fuel instead of the fuel tank. The incident left Caxambas boat ramp closed for more than one hour Monday afternoon.

MARCO ISLAND — A boater who mistook a fishing rod holder for a gas tank opening and filled up his bilge with fuel, caused an emergency at a Marco Island park on Monday.

Marco Island Fire Rescue was dispatched to Caxambas Park Marina for a hazardous condition at 3:48 p.m. Monday.

The owner of the vessel accidently pumped 26 gallons of fuel into his bilge.

Fuel vapors begin to expand in the boat’s bilge, creating a hazardous condition since the gas could have ignited.

Fire rescue personnel arrived on scene under the command of Division Chief Scott Schultz and immediately evacuated civilians from the area and ceased any further boating traffic into the park.

Firefighters extended hose lines to spray foam into the vessel’s bilge to suppress the vapors, effectively placing a foam blanket over the fuel to prevent an explosion.

Firefighters disconnected the vessel’s batteries to prevent any possible ignition source and the vessel’s owner contacted Sea Tow for assistance.

Sea Tow took the vessel from the park to a marina to remove the fuel from the bilge. The incident took place at the end of the day for many boaters, who use the park to launch their vessels. They had to wait until the situation was resolved.

Fire Chief Mike Murphy said several boaters ran out of fuel as the incident caused the marina to close for about two hours.