'Historic' ferry destroyed in fire on River Exe
The fire was extinguished at about 16:10 GMT, Exmouth RNLI said
- Published
A "historic" boat has been destroyed after it burst into flames on the River Exe, Exmouth RNLI said.
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said it was called to the boat fire near the Starcross to Exmouth ferry pier at about 12:30 GMT on Wednesday.
In a post on Facebook, external, Exmouth, external RNLI , externalconfirmed nobody was onboard the vessel which was towed back to a nearby harbour after the fire was extinguished.
Starcross to Exmouth Ferry said it was aware of the "devastating" fire involving its ferry, Princess Marina.
In a post on Facebook, external, the ferry business said: "We would just like to thank everyone involved who helped get the fire under control."
The fire service said it used a local tugboat to tackle the blaze on the diesel-powered vessel, before switching to using the Exmouth lifeboat.
Exmouth RNLI said: "Although we are glad that no one injured, it was a very sad day on the river with such a historic vessel being destroyed and the subsequent impacts to this family business."
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