Marine News

RESIDENTS were evacuated as ferocious fires destroyed two boats early today. Gas bottles exploded and flares were set off as flames leapt up to 30m into the air. Police have set up a crime scene but have yet to establish whether it was an arson attack. Senior Sergeant Tony Deutrom said: "We don’t know the cause yet." The boats - both 15m and worth a total of about $550,000 - were moored next to each other in Darwin’s Cullen Bay marina when they burst into flames about 1am. NT News photographer Brad Fleet captured these images in the early hours Bystanders tried in vain to put out the fires. YOUR SAY "Now it’s boats are burning good old joint always something going on to keep you occupied" Ralph The motor launchers broke free from their moorings and drifted across the marina - and there were fears that the fires would spread if they crashed into other vessels. But four men risked their lives to drag them to safety. Cullen Bay Corporation manager Robbie Standaloft said: "People are saying we’re heroes but we were just doing our job." There were more than 100 other boats in the marina. Mr Standaloft, 51, said the blazing diesel-powered boats were in danger of crashing into them or sinking in the middle of the marina. "Either would have been a disaster." Mr Standaloft and lockmaster Kenny Veil motored out to the vessels as they drifted across the marina. They threw their anchor around the handrail of one boat, dragged it to rocks and ran it aground. "The heat was intense," Mr Standaloft said. "We bumped into the back of the boat. We got out of there pretty quickly." They went back for the second vessel and helped resident Graham Townes and a fire fighter pull it to the rocks. Twenty-five residents living in Marina Bay Blvd were evacuated as heavy smoke swept through the marina housing estate. Several were checked by St John Ambulance medics for smoke inhalation Mr Standaloft said residents were magnificent. "There were 50-60 people out there helping," he said. "They didn’t just look after their own boats - they looked after other people’s as well. "But Cullen Bay is like that. It’s a great little community."