College Students Credited With Preventing Disaster After Boat Fire In Scituate

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SCITUATE (CBS) - When a boat caught fire while fueling up in Scituate, many people helped control the situation, and prevented the fire from spreading. But perhaps two of the biggest "heroes" were not first responders, they were college kids, working summer jobs at the marina.

"Unbelievable. I mean, they stepped up and they did what needed to be done," said Scituate Harbormaster Steve Mone.

The two young men, Andrew Geagea and Mike Ward, pulled up to the burning boat which was at the fuel dock, grabbed it, tied a rope to it, and hauled the ball of fire away from the gas dock.

Mike Ward and Andrew Geagea (WBZ-TV)

"Yeah, we towed it to a mooring about a hundred yards away," said Andrew Geagea.

"We just did what we had to do in that moment," said Mike Ward, "and kind of not really thinking of anything else."

They took the boat to the middle of the harbor and let it burn out, preventing what could have been a major blaze.

A boat caught on fire at Scituate Harbor marina (Image credit U.S. Coast Guard)

"Removing that boat changed so much," said Assistant Harbormaster Carolyn Forde. "It could have gone so much worse."

There had been a family of five on the boat, when it caught fire. They jumped in the water. The father and his 11-year old son suffered burns.