06-15-2007, 04:24 AM
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June 06, 2007 - An Oakland County youth is being heralded as a hero after he came to the assistance of a 37-year-old man and his 4-year-old son while they were boating last week on Cass Lake in West Bloomfield Township.
On Wednesday, May 30, at about 5:40 p.m. a 20-foot-long fiberglass power boat caught fire while traveling westbound on Cass Lake. The 37-year-old man operating the boat, a West Bloomfield resident, noticed smoke and flames coming from the boat's engine compartment. He stopped the vessel and was preparing to abandon the boat with his son.
Kyle Hannawa, a 13-year-old Bloomfield Township boy boating on the lake after recently completing a boater's safety training class with the Oakland County Sheriff's Department, approached the burning vessel and helped the man and child aboard his boat, according to the Oakland County Sheriff's Department.
"His knowledge and quick actions are credited with assisting the father and son off the water with no injuries and possibly saving their lives," said Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard in a prepared statement. "He is to be commended for his actions and he is a true hero. The Sheriff's Office will be honoring this young man with a Sheriff's Life Saving Citation."
The boat which caught fire was a complete loss. In addition, Hannawa's pontoon boat was partially damaged during the rescue, according to the Sheriff's Department.
Oakland County Sheriff's Department Marine Division Sgt. Dan Toth said the owner of the boat that was destroyed was making some repairs the day before the incident. However, the extent of the fire was so great that the Marine Division can't conclusively determine the cause of the fire, according to Toth. The blaze appears to be fuel-related.
Toth offered the following tips for boaters: owners whose watercraft has an enclosed engine should run power ventilators for at least four or five minutes prior to starting the boat to provide fresh air in the engine compartment and avoid combustible fuel gases; inspect the engine compartments prior to starting the watercraft; give the boat a thorough visual inspection and "a good sniff test" to try to detect any kind of fuel leaks; and keep fire extinguishers mounted outside of the engine compartment.
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June 06, 2007 - An Oakland County youth is being heralded as a hero after he came to the assistance of a 37-year-old man and his 4-year-old son while they were boating last week on Cass Lake in West Bloomfield Township.On Wednesday, May 30, at about 5:40 p.m. a 20-foot-long fiberglass power boat caught fire while traveling westbound on Cass Lake. The 37-year-old man operating the boat, a West Bloomfield resident, noticed smoke and flames coming from the boat's engine compartment. He stopped the vessel and was preparing to abandon the boat with his son.
Kyle Hannawa, a 13-year-old Bloomfield Township boy boating on the lake after recently completing a boater's safety training class with the Oakland County Sheriff's Department, approached the burning vessel and helped the man and child aboard his boat, according to the Oakland County Sheriff's Department.
"His knowledge and quick actions are credited with assisting the father and son off the water with no injuries and possibly saving their lives," said Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard in a prepared statement. "He is to be commended for his actions and he is a true hero. The Sheriff's Office will be honoring this young man with a Sheriff's Life Saving Citation."
The boat which caught fire was a complete loss. In addition, Hannawa's pontoon boat was partially damaged during the rescue, according to the Sheriff's Department.
Oakland County Sheriff's Department Marine Division Sgt. Dan Toth said the owner of the boat that was destroyed was making some repairs the day before the incident. However, the extent of the fire was so great that the Marine Division can't conclusively determine the cause of the fire, according to Toth. The blaze appears to be fuel-related.
Toth offered the following tips for boaters: owners whose watercraft has an enclosed engine should run power ventilators for at least four or five minutes prior to starting the boat to provide fresh air in the engine compartment and avoid combustible fuel gases; inspect the engine compartments prior to starting the watercraft; give the boat a thorough visual inspection and "a good sniff test" to try to detect any kind of fuel leaks; and keep fire extinguishers mounted outside of the engine compartment.
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