UPDATE 4:04 PM: Body of woman killed in Texas City boat fire recovered nearly 8 hours after fire was reported Nearly half a day since a fire injured a man and destroyed a pleasure yacht, members of the Galveston Countt Sheriff’s Office Dive Team and Texas City firefighters and police recovered the body of a woman killed in the inferno. The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team was called to assist in the search for the woman when her boat was destroyed by fire early Tuesday morning (4/9/2025). Texas City Assistant Fire Chief Matthew Wyatt said the recovery effort continued more than 8 hours after the fire at the Waterman’s Harbor Marina was first reported. At around 3:30 PM, the Galveston County Medical Examiner’s Office Chief Investigator DJ Florence returned to the scene. About 30 minutes later the coroner’s hearse from Carnes Funeral Home arrived to transport the body to the Galveston County Medical Examiner’s Office. The 55-foot motor yacht docked at the end of the marina pier was destroyed in a fire that was reported at about 7:20 AM. A man and a woman, both in their 80s, reportedly lived on the boat. The marina is located on a small canal near state Highway 146 in far north Texas City. It connects to the south bank of Dickinson Bayou. The man was severely burned and taken to the Blocker Burn Unit at UTMB Health in Galveston. He was listed in critical condition. The woman was somewhere in the vessel's living quarters and was trapped by the inferno. There was no indication she managed to escape the burning boat. Officials said the woman is presumed dead because for most of the day her body had not yet been found. The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team arrived at about noon and, with cutting tools from the Texas City Fire Department, was to search the vessel and the waters around the boat. Wyatt said when firefighters arrived, the vessel docked at the end of the pier and was engulfed in flames. The boat's location and the fire's location inside the cabin made it difficult for fire crews to battle the blaze. Tanker trucks from Santa Fe and San Leon were called to provide water to fight the fire. Wyatt said the marina's location did not provide a safe place to draft the brackish water from the bayou. A fire boat from another department arrived and helped pull water from the bayou to douse the flames. Detectives from the Texas City Police Department and the Texas City Fire Marshal will investigate the fatality. The Texas City Fire Department called for support from volunteer departments in San Leon, Bacliff, Santa Fe, and League City to assist with the firefight. Texas Game Wardens also assisted at the site, and the environmental division of the United States Coast Guard sent a team to assess any ecological hazards resulting from the fire and firefighting efforts. This developing story will be updated as more confirmed information is available. * Man severely burned and taken to burn unit after fire consumes yacht A woman in her 80s is presumed dead, and her spouse was severely burned after a boat fire in far north Texas City on Tuesday(4/29/2025). The fire at the Waterman’s Harbor Marina on Dickinson Bayou was reported just before 7:20 AM. Officials said the woman is presumed dead because, as of 11:30 AM, her body had not yet been found. The Galveston County Medical Examiner's Office’s Chief Investigator, John Florence, was on the scene but left as firefighters and police searched for the woman’s body. It was not confirmed whether a dive team would be called to assist in the search. When the firefighters arrived, the vessel, docked at the end of the pier, was engulfed in flames. A man in his 80s was transported to the burn unit at UTMB Health in Galveston. He was listed in critical condition. Detectives from the Texas City Police Department and the Texas City Fire Marshal will investigate the fatality. The Texas City Fire Department called for support from volunteer departments in San Leon, Bacliff, Santa Fe, and League City to assist with the firefight. A firefighting boat was also called to assist. This developing story will be updated as more confirmed information is available.

Posted by i45NOW TJ Aulds at 2025-04-29 14:17:57 UTC