Man Escapes As Fire Engulfs Yacht At Brick Marina

Just a few short hours after the Comstock Yacht Sales and Marina celebrated its 40th anniversary with a party, its owners were up and moving a 40-foot yacht that had been fully engulfed in flames due to what the yacht's owner said is likely an electrical fire.

Brian Piscopo was sleeping on his 40-foot Carver Yacht, known as the Insatiable, when the fire broke out at the marina at 704 Princeton Ave., but he escaped in time to call emergency responders, he told Patch in an exclusive interview.

Gerald and June Guarino, of East Hanover, were sleeping in an adjacent yacht when they said they heard sirens around 3 a.m., alerting them to the fire.

"They had a nice party last night for the anniversary," Gerald Guarino said. "When I first heard the sirens, I thought it was maybe noise from the party. But I went to the back door, and it was glowing red."  He said once he opened the door, he saw the flames and felt the heat of Piscopo's yacht, and he and his wife quickly got off their boat.

A visibly-shaken June Guarino told Patch this morning she was happy that everyone was safe, and that her two border collies had not joined them this weekend on the yacht.

Damage to surrounding boats was largely cosmetic - including one out of Point Pleasant Beach - eyewitnesses said, thanks in part to fast action by local fire companies, but Guarino's dock box was completely destroyed.

Don Ditzel, coowner of the marina, said that the Laurelton Fire Company keeps their fire boat at the marina and they were one of the first to respond.

Another yacht owner was busy this morning washing seaweed off his yacht. He told a Patch reporter that he thought the sea water pumped from the fire company's boat threw the seaweed up on the adjacent yachts.

Other responding companies included Point Pleasant, Pioneer, Breton Woods, and other emergency personnel.
 
This is a developing story and Patch will update as more information becomes available.