JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A man and his eight-year-old son helped rescue a family of five and their dog after their boat caught fire Sunday afternoon near Julington Creek and the St. Johns River.
Michael Shillingford and his son Vincent were preparing to leave the area when Vincent noticed something in the air.
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“When my son mentioned that there was a boat that was having a barbecue on the back,” Shillingford recalled.
But what initially seemed like a harmless gathering turned out to be an emergency. The boat was on fire, with five people and their dog still aboard.
“As I looked, I didn’t quite see a barbecue—what I saw is more would seem like engine smoke, and then shortly there afterwards we saw fire coming from the stern of their boat,” said Shillingford.
Shillingford and his son sprang into action. As they approached the scene, they saw the family gathered near the bow of the burning boat.
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“I could see the family was huddled up on the bow of their boat,” he said.
With the fire rapidly spreading, Shillingford knew they had to act quickly but cautiously.
“So I threw out a stern line and the family with their life vests were able to jump in the water and grab the line and allow me to pull them away from the boat,” he explained.
Around 12:15 p.m., St. Johns County officials arrived on the scene. They extinguished the flames and ensured the family’s safety.
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Fortunately, everyone on board — including the dog — was wearing a life jacket, and no injuries were reported.
“The real thanks that I have is to the family that was prepared and all the officials who were coming. You can hear the sirens, helicopters, and you know that help was on the way,” said Shillingford.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
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