Lewes fire boat repairs underway

An exhaust leak caused the Lewes fire-and-rescue boat to sink in August. 

Glenn Marshall, Lewes Fire Department public information officer, said the leak allowed water to enter the hull and the bilge pump was rendered inoperable due to failure of power source. 

The boat was fully insured, Marshall said. It has been transported to Virginia Beach for repairs. It is expected to return to service in late March or early April. Committee members are expected to do an on-site visit to check on progress. 

Lewes Fire Department officials discovered their sunken vessel about 8 p.m., Aug. 30, at the boat launch at the end of Pilottown Road, near Roosevelt Inlet. Marshall said it took until 5 a.m., Aug. 31, to remove the boat from the water. There were no injuries reported, Marshall said.

The fire-and-rescue boat is the largest of the department’s three marine units. The 44-foot catamaran was purchased in 2008 for about $900,000, with $144,500 coming from a grant from the Department of Homeland Security. It is the department’s open-water vessel, capable of operating in the bay. According to the department’s website, the boat has twin 600 horsepower diesel engines with jet drive propulsion with a cruising speed 30 knots and top speed estimated at 40 knots. It’s equipped with a 750-gallon fire pump, state-of-the-art electronics, thermal imaging camera, room for two patients in cabin and seating for operator plus a crew of eight.

Lewes Fire Department is responsible for emergency response in the Delaware Bay, Lewes-Rehoboth Canal, Roosevelt Inlet, Broadkill River, smaller tributaries, 15 miles of coastline, about 25 square miles of the Delaware Bay and about 50 square miles of the Atlantic Ocean.