LAKE POWELL, Ariz. — Courtney and Jake Cahoon were enjoying a day on their boat at Lake Powell when it turned into a rescue mission.
A nearby houseboat with 29 people on it caught fire sending a plume of black smoke into the air.
“As we pull up, it starts getting bigger and bigger," Jake Cahoon said, "and so that's why I’m like 'you guys got to jump, you got to get off this boat as soon as you can.'”
It happened on Sept. 13 near Glen Canyon National Park. People on board began jumping off the boat after the fire started. The Glen Canyon National Park Service said other boats in the area helped get the people out of the water.
“They still had to swim 20 or 30 feet in the choppy water, so they were exhausted by the time they got to our ski boat,” Jake Cahoon said,
A patrol boat was close when the fire occurred and helped, GCNPS said. The houseboat burned to the hull and then sank.
“They [had] babies with them so you know at that point Jake's dad realized like we have to get as close as we can to get these people onto our boat ..." Courtney Cahoon said. "But in the channel the water is really rough.”
Ultimately, no injuries were reported, the park service said.
“After it all ended and we all went back to our houseboat, we were teary-eyed and just like grateful everyone was OK," Courtney Cahoon said. "So yeah it was crazy, but I'm so glad for the outcome that it was.”
The cause of the fire is under investigation, authorities said.
>> CNN News Source contributed to this story
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