Man rescues lost friend before blast
Published: January 7, 2006
Deebob ”Sam” Baird and Jeff Richardson grew up together on Cape Cod, but 10 years ago they lost touch — until yesterday.
As Richardson was fishing yesterday morning near Billingsgate Shoals, about 2 miles out in Cape Cod Bay from Eastham, he heard a distress call on the radio from a boat about 2 miles north. About 15 minutes later, when his boat reached the spot from where the call was sent, he saw flames licking the deck of a 55-foot fishing boat.
And there, next to the burning boat, was Baird, his childhood buddy, and another man sitting in a life raft, waiting to be saved.
”It was kind of strange to see him, but I was glad I was able to help,” Richardson said yesterday. ”We got them onboard and then just watched the boat burn.”
Baird, 42, and Shawn R. Rose, both Wellfleet fishermen, were fishing on the vessel Hizzoner yesterday when a fire broke out in the engine room, causing the ship to sink, said Coast Guard spokeswoman Kelly Turner.
Rose and Baird sent out mayday calls and attempted to fight the fire.
The men then put on survival suits and abandoned ship on a life raft at about 6:55 a.m., Turner said. Neither one was injured.
Richardson, 42, was out on his 44-foot fishing vessel, Miss Integrity, fishing for bass when he heard the call.
”I just steamed out there,” he said. ”It was foggy, you really couldn’t see anything.”
Once Rose and Baird were onboard, the men watched the fire consume Hizzoner, a wooden vessel. The fire triggered a large explosion and then the boat quickly slipped under water, Richardson said.
”It was the biggest explosion I had ever seen,” he said. ”It was sad, but cool.”
The survivors were transferred to a Coast Guard rescue boat shortly after and were taken to the Coast Guard’s Cape Cod station. The cause of the fire was unknown. The Coast Guard is investigating the incident, Turner said.
Baird and Rose, lifelong fishermen, sat calmly throughout the fire, Richardson said.
”It was an old boat,” he said. ”They took it all in silence.”
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