A plume of smoke from a Sunday morning boat fire was visible from the beach in Ocean City. Credit: Ron Trifilo
A 46-foot sailboat caught fire on Sunday morning about three miles off the coast of Ocean City.
U.S. Coast Guard photo
The Coast Guard received the call at 10:49 am, and a boat out of the Atlantic City station was on the scene within 15 minutes.
The boat's owners had put on life jackets and safely launched a dinghy to get away from the burning boat.
The Coast Guard rescued the two and their dog, and transported them to Ocean City. The sailboat sunk, and the dinghy is being towed back to shore, according to the Coast Guard
The plume of black smoke from the fire was visible from all Ocean City beaches on Sunday morning.
Beachgoers reported seeing a burst of flames after the fire had started, likely when the fire reached the boats fuel tank.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.