Lake Tahoe boat fire: Six people, dog rescued

Written by KTVU staff

LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (FOX-35)- Six people and a dog were rescued over the weekend before a fire caused major damage to the boat's hull – causing it to sink.

The drama occurred on Sunday near Cedar Flat in the northwest part of Lake Tahoe.

The Placer County Sheriff's Office said everyone on board was pulled to safety by the Coast Guard and good Samaritans. 
Michael Aberle is one of them. He was on his boat when he saw smoke.

Without hesitating, he said he and others rushed to help.

"There was a lot of crying,"Aberle told Sacramento station, KCRA3. "The kids were freaking out. It was pretty bad. It was a bad moment for them because I'm assuming that they didn't see any boat at first when they got on that water. All they saw was that fire, and how are they going to make it from here to there."

No serious injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.