Fast-thinking teen puts out fire - Tangled Line

Boat/US Magazine, May, 2003

On Dec. 5, BoatU.S. member Ken Venable received a telephone call no one ever wants to hear -- his 32-foot Bayliner at Aquia Harbor Marina, VA, was on lire.

Bryan MoNulty, a 16-year-old employee of the marina was shoveling snow outside the marina store when he heard a smoke detector alarm sounding. Down the dock he saw smoke pouring from the cruiser's engine vents. After calling the fire department, he went to the boat to see what he could do. Hearing the boat's engines trying to start themselves, due to heat short-circuiting the wiring, he grabbed some nearby lire extinguishers and emptied them into the boat through the engine vents.

When Venable got to the marina he was relieved to find his boat sitting in its slip with no signs of damage. The teenager told the owner he was 'sorry about the broken window, but he had to get into the boat.'

A few more minutes and the fire might have ruptured the bulkhead gas lines, leading to a potential marina-wide disaster. As a result of Bryan's quick action and response, Venable's boat suffered only minor damages while the marina was saved from becoming an inferno. Susan Holler of the BoatU.S. Marine Insurance Claims Department presented Bryan with a plaque and cash reward of $2,500 for his heroic efforts (shown above).