One Dead in Yacht Fire

2:49 AM Wed 10 Dec 2008 GMT

'Smoke pours from the yachts on fire at the Lincoln Harbor marina in New York - photo by Reena Rose Sibayan' .

The U.S. Coast Guard has now confirmed that a body was recovered from aboard a boat that caught fire in the Lincoln Harbor Marina, New Jersey, across the waters from New York's Manhattan Island. The flames broke out at around 7:30 a.m.

Smoke from the boats burning in the Lincoln Harbor marina in Weehawken not only resulted in the (later discovered)death of one person, but according to authorities it also caused the evacuation of 1500 Harbor Boulevard, a huge office complex that houses a number of businesses, including the Lincoln Harbor Yacht Club.

North Hudson Regional firefighters battle a blaze on two boats at the Lincoln Harbor marina in Weehawken, photo by Reena Rose Sibayan - .. .

One boat caught fire at about 7.00am and then spread to a second vessel before the fire was brought under control by members of the North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue Service.

At the height of the fire about 50 firefighters were on the scene and the thick, black smoke could be seen by drivers on the way to the nearby Lincoln Tunnel and people in Manhattan's West Side office buildings.

The scene of this tragedy, the Lincoln Harbor Yacht Club, is a well known marina and a good location for yachts visiting New York. It is just minutes away from the heart of Manhattan's entertainment and cultural centers, as well as its elegant shops and restaurants. Yachts who use the marina have easy access to the city's business and financial empire, and also the ease to set sail, at any moment, for some of the most beautiful beaches of Long Island and New Jersey.

by BW Media round-up