Belgian Firefighter Killed During FDNY Marine Boat Crash, Officials Says

NEW YORK – A Belgian firefighter aboard an FDNY fireboat was killed when another boat collided with a plane, FDNY officials said Saturday.

FDNY’s Marine 1 Bravo was working on the East River near Pier 11 at about 10 p.m. Friday when a charter boat collided with a fireboat.

Authorities say a Belgian firefighter was seriously injured in the crash and died of his injuries at Bellevue Hospital.

The department said three other civilians aboard the boat and an FDNY firefighter were also taken to Bellevue Hospital with minor injuries.

A New York Police Department Harbor Unit responded to the scene and alerted the Coast Guard, a police source said. Police on the NYPD Harbor Boat also assisted in transporting some of the injured to a nearby dock.

No one was injured on the other boat, which the Coast Guard identified as Honcho.

A spokesman confirmed that the US Coast Guard was investigating the crash.

According to the company’s website, Honcho is a fishing boat that sails in Brooklyn Bridge Park and offers private NYC waterway tours for between $ 450 and $ 550. Attempts to reach the boat’s owners on Saturday failed.

The name of the Belgian firefighter was not immediately released as family members abroad have been alerted.

The Belgian firefighter met with FDNY officials a few years ago and maintained friendly relations with department officials before Friday’s crash, a source close to the incident said.

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It was not immediately clear why the Belgian firefighter was on board and who gave permission for Friday night’s visit. Another source said that non-FDNY personnel are generally not allowed to board boats without the permission of the department head.

“It’s not like the boat’s pilot could say, ‘Let’s go for a ride!'” The FDNY source said.

The source said there have been incidents in the past when FDNY executives have allowed citizens to tour FDNY boats without talking to the ship’s captain beforehand, adding to the tension.

“A marine pilot is just a firefighter who has a pilot’s license, but he knows his boats and they know how many people can be on board, what kind of safety equipment is needed, and Everything else that sails the boat safely. ” . “But in the end, they’re just firefighters, so when a senior officer tells them what to do, they have to do it.”