A sailboat moored in Cadboro Bay near the Royal Victoria Yacht Club went up in flames Saturday morning, and a diver was on scene through the afternoon to determine if anyone had been on board.
Oak Bay police said Tuesday that no one was on board the boat.
Chris Lynch was taking pictures of the sunrise at Gyro Beach, across the bay from the fire, about 6:45 a.m. when he spotted some smoke that he at first thought might have been from someone cooking aboard a vessel.
“I didn’t think anything of it, and then 10 minutes later I saw some flames so I called 911.”
Fire trucks arrived and parked on top of the bluff overlooking the scene, Lynch said.
The top of the boat was “fully engulfed” before it burned down to the water line, he said.
It was located about 30 metres from the shore.
Oak Bay’s Acting Deputy Fire Chief Roger Stewart said the boat, made of fibreglass and about 30 feet long, eventually sank, while a nearby vessel was damaged.
Oak Bay police were called to determine who owned the boats affected, and the coast guard also responded.
“Upon arrival, the Canadian Coast Guard assessed the vessel and searched the area for victims,” Stewart said.
The coast guard requested the use of the Victoria Fire Department’s fire boat, Protector, which arrived from its moorage in the Inner Harbour to extinguish the blaze.
The burning boat ultimately sank “due to the weight of the water and how far the fire had burned down,” Stewart said.
The diver was then brought in by police.
Stewart said the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
“We have no further details about that at this time.”
