Video: Jet skier saves the day as boat catches fire on lake
A quick-thinking man put his jet ski to good use when he came to the rescue of a boat that caught fire on Lake Buffalo, in Victoria, Australia.
Dean Linic, 23, was enjoying lunch with his family at the water side when the incident occurred - and he came up with the idea of using his jet ski to put out the flames.
He told news.com.au: "We just heard this almighty explosion and we looked up and there was just black smoke going straight up so I just dropped the paper, jumped on a jet ski and went around [to the boat]."
"I didn't know anyone was in the boat at that stage so I just went around splashing it with the waves from the jet ski and just made sure it was all out.
"I later found out there were two 17-year-olds in the boat but they had jumped out by the time I got there."
Sergeant Paul Evans of Myrtleford police sang his praises, saying: "The jet skier showed a lot of smarts and obviously used his jet ski to douse the flames and push the boat towards the shore.
"There were three off-duty nurses at the lake and they also had a number of bystanders who took the right treatment to stabilise these people. Without their attention and effort then perhaps there would have been a different result."
Luckily, the passengers escaped with burns. The 17-year-old boy was airlifted to the Alfred hospital and stayed there for three nights, while his girlfriend was taken to Wangaratta hospital with minor injuries.
Sergeant Evans said the reason for the explosion was not yet clear, adding: "From all the witnesses we've spoken to, it seems the kid did no more than start the engine and it exploded."
Lake Buffalo is located on the Buffalo River, 24 km south of Myrtleford in north eastern Victoria. It lies at the foot of the western slope of Mount Buffalo National Park, and is a popular fishing, water skiing and picnicking venue.
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