ST. ANTHONY, N.L. — The Newfoundland Lynx arrived in St. Anthony early this morning, Thursday, Jan. 30, after a fire aboard the fishing vessel yesterday.
The ship’s owner, Ocean Choice International, said in a statement, a “small, contained” fire broke out in the afternoon and was extinguished by the crew.
St. Anthony was the closest port to where the Lynx was fishing.
The St. Anthony Fire Department met the boat upon its arrival and the crew were discharged from the vessel, said the statement.
St. Anthony fire chief Peter Green said the Lynx arrived at approximately 12:45 a.m.
“We were asked to meet them at the wharf there and go aboard when she docked to make sure everything was safe and sound and the fire was out,” Green told SaltWire Network on Thursday.
Green said the fire was located in the accommodations section of the ship.
“Everything was out,” Green said.
“There was still a bit of smoke in the room where everything was confined there, but we ventilated and had a good look around, and we were ready to put (a fire) out if something went wrong.”
The department was called as a precautionary measure, Green said, as the crew had run out of air for their breathing apparatuses.
“The safety of all of our employees in our plants and on our vessels is our top priority,” the Ocean Choice International statement read.
“We are extremely pleased with how quickly and professionally our employees acted to contain the fire.”
The company acknowledged it will take some time to determine the extent of the damage to the boat.
“We will continue to work with the proper authorities and an investigation into the cause of the fire will get underway over the coming days,” the statement added.
Ocean Choice offered its gratitude to the St. Anthony Fire Department and the Siviluk, another vessel nearby that helped the Lynx while it was heading to port.
According to the company’s website, the Lynx was built in 2004 and is based out of Harbour Grace. The vessel, which catches and freezes shrimp and turbot, has capacity for 31 crew members.