Fire destroys boat owned by shark tour operator
Honolulu firefighters and the Coast Guard are investigating a fire that destroyed a shark tour boat early Friday morning at Haleiwa Harbor.
The fire started about 12:40 a.m. and fully engulfed the 30-foot vessel by the time firefighters arrived a few minutes later, said Honolulu Fire Department Capt. Terry Seelig.
Flames burned the bridge and cabin of the Radon-brand boat, and radiant heat damaged another vessel nearby, he said.
Firefighters extinguished the fire about 1:30 a.m. Damage was estimated at $225,000.
The boat didn’t sink but it was hauled out of the water for investigators to look for a cause, Seelig said.
The Coast Guard said it was investigating because the fire was aboard a commercial vessel.
Seelig said the boat was reported to be owned by a shark tour company.
A source familiar with the incident said the boat belongs to North Shore Shark Adventures. The company did not immediately return a call to comment.