Giving New Meaning to "Toast" of the Town

Photo by WAVY-TV photographer Lance Thomas

Virginia Beach Firefighters and the Coast Guard were summoned to Pocaty River, just south of West Neck Marina, early this morning. They found this 18-foot bass boat (at least, that's what it looks like in the picture) fully engulfed in flames.

According to Virginia Beach Battalion Chief Brian Taylor, the person who called in the fire is a duck hunter who said he thought the boat had been there a while--after possibly having been abandoned. There was no problem putting out the blaze, but the boat was too badly damaged to find any identifying marks, registration or name information.

First reports from the scene indicated that personnel were searching for any possible victims. If I can believe the latest TV reports I heard this evening, no evidence has been found that shows any victims were involved.

As I understand it, the investigation of this incident has been turned over to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

The accompanying photo shows what's left of the "toasty" boat tied in the vicinity of the launch ramp at West Neck Marina, where it was towed after the early-morning flames had been extinguished.