On passage to Colonia - A yacht caught fire on the approach channel to Buenos Aires; its two crew were pulled from the water
On a recreational passage from San Fernando toward Colonia, the sailboat caught fire in the Emilio Mitre channel; the Prefectura found the man and woman floating about 100 m from the burning boat, with burns and hypothermia.
What happened.
On a recreational passage from San Fernando toward Colonia in 2026, a sailing yacht caught fire in the Emilio Mitre channel, the approach to Buenos Aires on the River Plate. Its two crew — a man and a woman — ended up in the water and were found floating about 100 metres from the burning boat by the Argentine Prefectura. Both were treated ashore for burns and hypothermia.
In 2026, a man and a woman in their forties set out on a recreational passage from San Fernando, on the Argentine side of the River Plate, toward Colonia in Uruguay. In the Canal Emilio Mitre — the dredged access channel that leads to the port of Buenos Aires — their sailing yacht caught fire. Staff of the port authority (AGP) saw a column of smoke rising from the channel and alerted the Prefectura Naval Argentina, which sent specialist units for on-board fires and water rescue: jet-skis, semi-rigid boats and a coastguard cutter. The first responders, on jet-skis, found the two crew already in the water, floating about 100 metres clear of the burning boat. They were brought ashore and handed to SAME emergency medics, who treated them for abrasions, burns and hypothermia. Both survived; the yacht was left burning.
What it teaches.
- 1A boat fire can force you overboard with no time to prepare. This crew ended up in the water about 100 m from their burning yacht, with burns and hypothermia. Know your extinguishers and fuel and gas shut-offs, keep lifejackets and a grab bag to hand, and have a planned path to get clear of the flames and stay afloat.
- 2Once you are in the water, cold is the next danger. Both here were treated for hypothermia as well as burns, even close to shore on the River Plate. Lifejackets hold you up while you wait; get as much of yourself out of the water as you can and signal hard, because immersion drains strength fast.
- 3Raise the alarm the instant a fire is beyond control. Here a port-authority watch spotted the smoke and the Prefectura arrived quickly — but don't rely on being seen. Carry a VHF and flares, send a mayday with your position early, and let the professionals come to you while you concentrate on getting off safely.
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