Salvage of the S/V Panama Red

On August 27, 2007, Captain Doug Gould, manning the Block Island Salvage Station, received a report of a vessel on fire in New Harbor. Captain Gould was on scene within 10 minutes. When he arrived on scene, Captain Gould observed very heavy smoke coming from the cockpit area of the vessel.

The vessel on fire was the S/V Panama Red. Tied alongside of Panama Red was a small powerboat and the S/V Restless. Being that S/V Panama Red was already on fire, Captain Gould decided he would first save the other two vessels. Captain Gould got alongside the Restless (a Tartan sailboat) and untied her from the Panama Red. At this point, heavy smoke was still pouring from the Panama Red's cockpit.

The S/V Restless was immediately transported to a nearby empty mooring and secured to it. Although it only took Captain Gould 4 minutes from the time he hooked up to the Restless to the time she was secured to the mooring, when Captain Gould turned back around to return to the Panama Red, the vessel was overrun with flames, engulfing the entire stern, aft and just forward of the companionway. After arriving back on scene with the Panama Red, Captain Gould cut loose the small powerboat and allowed it to float free of the Panama Red. This vessel was immediately recovered.

Captain Gould carefully secured the M/V Block Island to the Panama Red as to not cause any damage to the rescue vessel. Within another 10 minutes of arriving back on scene with Panama Red, with her entire stern area, sails, sail covers, and much of the cabin ablaze, Captain Gould, with the help of good samaritans and off-duty volunteer firemen, had the fire completely under control.

This amazing video shows the quick efforts and years of expertise displayed by Captain Gould and those who supported him in this operation.