Fire devoured the 47ft Meridian so quickly the captain couldn’t radio for help
A captain could only watch as a fire destroyed his 47ft luxury yacht on his 50th birthday in Long Island, America.
Robert Blount was out fishing on Saturday and was headed towards a nearby marina to dock his yacht when a fire broke out in one of the boats engines.
He told police that it spread so quickly he didn’t have time to radio for help.
The inferno, which raged for 90 minutes, was so bright that it was visible from two states.
Mr Blount lived on the three-year-old Meridian, which is worth almost £490,000.
He was rescued safely, thanks to police captain Sam Arciola who noticed the 47-footer in flames.
“It was a fast-moving fire,” Mr Arciola told CBS New York. “I have never seen anything like that in all my years on the water.”
It’s expected that the boat will be raised later this week to allow insurance inspectors to take a closer look at the wreckage.