Video shows Miami Beach yacht catching fire, shocking many onlookers: "Pretty surprised to see it"
Firefighters are investigating how a yacht on Miami Beach went up in flames, which shocked many onlookers on Saturday morning.
As crews finish cleaning up the scene from earlier, video obtained by CBS News Miami showed smoke billowing out of the back of the vessel, where firefighters had to keep a steady downpour on it, bringing hose lines onto the docks near 300 Alton Rd.
The fire has since been put out, but the vessel has since sunk into the bay, with just its stern out of the water. Miami Beach City Commissioner David Suarez spoke with CBS News Miami, saying that crews spent three and a half hours fighting the fire, and had to sink the yacht to prevent the flames from spreading.
"They told me in order to save the adjacent boats, they had to sink the boat, which makes sense," he said. "We don't want to have a fire cause another fire to another boat."
Suarez told CBS News Miami that he was briefed by officials and dock staff, saying it may have been an electrical fire.
Though the smoke appeared to be coming from inside the yacht, Miami Beach Fire and Police officials have not responded to CBS News Miami's requests for comment, as the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
While awaiting for fire and law enforcement's response, CBS News Miami is trying to find out who owns the yacht and if anyone was injured during the fire, but Suarez said it's unlikely that anyone was hurt.
Suarez added that the vessel will likely be towed away so investigators can assess the damage and determine the cause of the fire.
As onlookers pass by, the video circulates online
Throughout the day, the video circulated all over social media and people who walked by the scene wondered what had happened and were shocked by what they saw.
Denis Bader, who was visiting from Sweden, said the sight of a yacht on fire was a first for him.
"I have not seen a fire like that on a boat before," he told CBS News Miami.
Other visitors walked by and were in shock at the size of the yacht on fire, and then later, halfway sunk in the Miami Beach marina. A witness sent CBS News Miami more video, which appears to show the boat tilted.
"This incident I've seen for the first time in my life," said Praveen Varma, who was visiting from New Jersey. "Pretty shocking and pretty surprised to see it. I've never seen this kind of view in my life before. It's just pretty much shocking, and I think it's a big loss."
In the meantime, Bader will have stories to tell about his trip to Miami Beach.
"I was thinking like because we smelled some fire and smoke, and we were just walking here, and we came like close to it, and we were shocked that it's actually a boat on fire," he told CBS News Miami.