Three People Jump From Burning Yacht—What About the Two Dogs?
On Saturday, June 18, 2022, just after 4 PM, a yacht on the Piscataqua River, near Little Harbor in New Castle, New Hampshire caught fire and became totally engulfed in flames. The #NHSP #MarinePatro was called to put out the fire and was on the scene within minutes. However, the flames were so intense that the 3 people on board had to jump. There were also 2 family dogs on the burning yacht.
Passengers onboard the "Elusive" had to jump into the water as the 70-foot yacht that the family lived on was totally ablaze within minutes as black smoke billowed from below deck. Passengers onboard said within minutes the yacht became completely consumed with fire and smoke. Arthur Watson, Diane Watson and Jarrod Tubbs had no choice but to jump into the Piscataqua River. So did the 2 family dogs. The depth of the river where the yacht was located is about 75 feet.
All 3 passengers were taken to Portsmouth Hospital where they were treated for minor injuries and then released.
The vessel drifted out of the harbor with the outgoing tide and sank within two hours. The US Coast Guard said it is likely that the yacht will not be brought to the surface. Since the family lived on the vessel, all of their belongings were lost. The cause of the fire remains a mystery.
This story hit news and media outlets around the world over the weekend, mentioning nothing about the whereabouts or the safety of the 2 dogs. People went crazy trying to figure out what happened to the dogs. Since media outlets reported that the 3 passengers were safe, it seemed the world turned its attention toward the dogs, wanting answers.
So many people, that Sgt. Steve O'Conner with the New Hampshire State Police Marine Patro had to issue a statement.
The two dogs are just fine. Someone at the marina took the dogs, took care of them and actually took the dogs to the hospital. When they were discharged the dogs were out there waiting for them. They're all reunited and everybody is just fine. -Sgt. Steve O'Conner with the New Hampshire State Police Marine Patrol (WMUR)
According to the New Hampshire State Police Facebook page: "Anyone who was a witness or has information related to this incident is encouraged to contact New Hampshire State Police - Marine Patrol Sergeant Stephen O'Connor at Stephen.J.O'Connor@dos.nh.gov or call (603) 227-2117."