Group of Victorian children rescued from burning boat during school excursion

The group of Year 8 and 9 students were scheduled to watch dolphins when a skipper spotted smoke coming from the engine room. 

A group of children have been rescued from the Bellarine Peninsula after their boat caught fire.

At 8.30am Tuesday morning, 22 people, including Year 8 and Year 9 students from Alexandra College, were on a school camp off the edge of Queenscliff in Victoria to watch dolphins. 

Suddenly, a Sea All Dolphin Swims skipper noticed smoke escaping from the engine room and immediately raised an alarm. 

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The kids were rescued in the early hours on Tuesday morning. Picture: 3AW

Group of school kids rescued from boat fire

Within six minutes crew from Searoad Ferries responded to the call, transporting the children off the burning boat and climbing aboard another vessel. 

The children and staff were instructed to climb up a pilot ladder and climb aboard another vessel through a door located at the boat’s hull. 

“Per our protocol, our amazing crew on board responded to this call and, within six minutes, assisted the other vessel by safely transporting all on board, including 22 children, to our ferry and back to shore,” a spokesperson for Searoad Ferries told The Herald Sun. 

“We are pleased everyone is safe and are immensely proud of our crew and staff, who stood up, took charge, and delivered an amazing outcome.” 

No one was injured during the incident.

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Dianne, a bystander on a nearby ferry said the kids were a little “startled” by the ordeal, but all arrived back on land safe and sound. 

“I spoke to some of the kids, and they seemed pretty excited about the whole thing, so they weren’t disturbed whatsoever,” she told 7News. 

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Speaking to The Herald Sun, a spokesperson for Victoria Police said, “The fire was extinguished, and police will tow the boat to shore.” 

“The exact circumstances surrounding the fire are yet to be determined, but the fire is not being treated as suspicious.”

After the children were taken back to shore, the dolphin-watching boat was restarted and transported back to the harbour.

Originally published as Group of Victorian children rescued from burning boat during school excursion