Harmar boat fire victim released from hospital, incident still under investigation
The person hospitalized after a boat fire in Harmar on Monday was treated and released, authorities said.
No other updates on the person were available, according to Harmar police.
Others on the boat, which caught fire about 3 p.m. below Lock 3, were not reported injured. The incident happened between Plum and Harmar, near the Allegheny River Turnpike Bridge.
Nearby resident Justin Hadricky told TribLive news partner WTAE that he was on his back porch when a plume of black smoke wafted by.
Hadricky jumped into a small boat and helped rescue three other people that had jumped into the water. They swam to an island where he picked them up and took them to a dock for medical attention, Hadricky said.
The state Fish and Boat Commission is handling the investigation, said Kasey Reigner, public information officer for the Allegheny County Department of Emergency Services.
The commission did not respond to requests for comment.
Multiple emergency services responded to the scene to battle the fire. Oakmont Volunteer Fire Department posted to social media, saying crews worked to extinguish the fire, help passengers and keep the boat clear from other hazards.
Responding crews included Oakmont, Allegheny Valley, Unity, Blawnox, Verona and Berkeley.
Tawnya Panizzi is a TribLive reporter. She joined the Trib in 1997. She can be reached at tpanizzi@triblive.com.
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