News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Peyton Washburn and Carlene Wise look out over the water in the direction of where their boat caught fire and sank on Friday. The blaze forced them to abandon ship, but they were shortly rescued by fishermen who were in the vicinity. They said they intend to continue to enjoy their time on the water and won’t let the fire keep them from getting another boat.

ALPENA — What began as a day of fun and celebration quickly turned dangerous Friday, when an Alpena couple’s boat erupted into flames and sank well offshore.

They were saved by other boaters, but the incident will not dim the passion they have for lake-related recreation, they say.

The boat, named Brookie after the loss of a loved one, now rests in about 30 feet of water waiting to be raised to the surface, towed to shore, and scrapped.

Peyton Washburn and Carlene Wise were celebrating their 11th anniversary and decided to take the boat out on Thunder Bay to do some fishing. They had just purchased new fishing gear and were eager to give it a try. Washburn was setting up their fishing lines when he said he smelled gas fumes.

He said he quickly checked the inboard motor compartment and examined the hoses and fittings, but everything appeared fine. To clear the fumes, he turned on the blower, but moments later flames that stood taller than him exploded out of the engine compartment and up his legs.

The unexpected burst of fire gave him second-degree burns, which he is being treated for.

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Washburn said Wise quickly got life preservers from the front of the boat, while he tried to put out the fire with an extinguisher. As the fire intensified, he told Carlene to abandon ship and swim far from the boat. After she jumped into the lake, he tried to resume his fight against the blaze, but to no avail, and eventually he threw his life jacket on, put a mayday call out over the radio, and then jumped overboard himself.

They watched the boat burn for about 10 minutes, until a boat of nearby fishermen swooped in and hoisted them out of the lake.

The video below shows the fire that sank the boat. The video was shared with The News. Story continues below video.

“It was a beautiful day, our anniversary, and we just wanted to go out and have a nice day on the lake,” Wasburn said. “When the fire started, my biggest concern was for Carlene and making sure she got off the boat safely. I tried to find the extinguisher on the floor of the boat after she got into the water, but by that time the smoke was bad and I couldn’t find it.”

Carlene said after she swam a good distance from the boat, she became worried about Peyton, because the fire was getting worse and he was still on the boat.

She said she urged him to jump overboard, and after what seemed like an eternity, he swam out to her.

“When I saw those large flames I knew right away we had to get off the boat, because it could explode,” Wise said. “I kept telling him to come on and he told me just to go and start swimming. I was like, ‘what are you doing?’ Will you please just jump in with me?”

Washburn said they were in the water for less than 10 minutes when they noticed boats coming in their direction. Eventually, a crew of fishermen located them and took them to the safety of Alpena Fire Department personnel.

“There were a lot of guys fishing, so when I made the mayday call I think a lot of them heard that,” he said. “I think a lot of them saw the smoke too and knew there was trouble.”

Both Washburn and Wise know the outcome of the fire could have been worse and are counting their blessings. Still, they lost a lot of valuables, including cell phones, wallets that contained personal information, and all the new fishing gear they just invested in.

Now, they said, they have to find a way to pay to have the boat lifted from the bottom of the lake, and they aren’t sure how they are going to do that.

“I haven’t been able to make any calls or do much research yet because of the weekend, but I have heard it could cost anywhere from $4,000 to $10,000 to have a professional come out and remove it,” Washburn said. “We’re also looking into an option of getting flotation devices with tanks that will get the boat buoyant and tow it in.”

Despite the bad experience on the lake, Washburn and Wise say they intend to continue to enjoy the fun Lake Huron provides. They said the fire and losing the boat, will not keep them off of the water.

“I grew up on the water sailing and scuba diving and I have been in a few hairy situations, although none as bad as this,” Washburn said. “We’ll definitely be back on the water for sure. I fully intend to get another boat at some point.”