According to a recently released report from the National Transportation Safety Board, poor maintenance and the captain’s failure to quickly shut down the engine were primarily responsible for the fire on the Island Lady casino shuttle boat which killed one woman and injured 14 others in Port Richey, Florida last January. The boat on its way to the Tropical Breeze casino boat in the gulf of Mexico when it caught fire, causing the 50 passengers to jump into chilly waters and leading to the death of 42-year-old Carrie Dempsey. The $450,000 boat was destroyed.
The report said the captain turned the Island Lady around to return to the dock after receiving a high-temperature alarm on the port engine. Smoke filled parts of the boat. The captain it in shallow water near shore to evacuate the passengers. According to the report, the captain should have shut off the engine after receiving the alarm instead of letting it idle. As a result, the overheating engine continued to generate excessive heat, affecting the exhaust tubes and igniting their surrounding structures.
Investigators also found the boat’s fuel tanks were equipped with plastic hoses used as fuel level indicators, and the system did not have automatic shut-off valves, which led to the plastic material melting and the release of diesel fuel exacerbating the fire.
In addition, the report cited lack of company guidance regarding engine high-temperature alarms, lack of fire detection in unmanned spaces and insufficient crew training. Also, investigators found that Tropical Breeze had implemented an insufficient preventive maintenance program after a previous fire on board another company vessel. However, the report acknowledges the U.S. Coast Guard does not require or enforce preventive maintenance programs for small boats.
Furthermore, the report stated crew members lacked sufficient understanding of firefighting principles due to infrequent or incomplete training drills.
