Two Injured as Multiple Boats Go Ablaze Near Kent

Two people were injured as about half a dozen boats went ablaze and were wrecked in River Medway Hampstead Marina at Yalding, near Maidstone, in Kent on the afternoon of Sunday 24 July.  The fire started as a small seven meter classic cabin cruiser exploded and went ablaze and then broke away from its mooring, drifting into the channel and burning other boats as it was moving around the channel.  Three fire engines and a bulk water carrier were called to the scene to help extinguish the blaze , with this taking two and a half hours to control. The two injured people were treated by paramedics and taken to the hospital; one suffered burns while the other was treated for smoke inhalation, the fire brigade said.  The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The fire starting boat was a Coronet 24 Cabin as designed by Bertelsen with Walters and Wynne doing the naval architecture and produced from 1963 to 1974 in 875 units. Other boats involved in this fire include a Marine Projects Princess 32 as produced from 1969 to 1980 in two thousand units.