Transmission issues may have caused boat fire on Lake Texoma

DENISON, Texas (KXII) -- A boat caught fire Thursday on Lake Texoma, sending the owner and a passenger into the water, but no injuries were reported, and no other vessels were damaged.

The fire aboard Three Carats, a 47-foot cruiser, began just before 2 p.m.

"I was driving across the water and I noticed there was some smoke coming out of a big yacht."

Brian Prichard owns a striping business on Lake Texoma.

He was on his way back to shore near Grandpappy Point Marina and Eisenhower Yacht Club when he saw something wrong.

"I started maneuvering over there to go help them and right before I got there both passengers jumped out into the water and I loaded them up and took them to Eisenhower back from where they came from."

We're told the passengers were not hurt.

"I'm sure they were a little nervous from their boat catching fire out on the water and having to jump out of it but they seemed to be just fine."

Both OHP Lake Patrol and Eisenhower Park employees were able to get the fire under control.

The Park Ranger believes it started after the owner of the boat refueled at Eisenhower Yacht Club and experienced transmission issues.

"They really started engulfing the boat, big black smoke."

This all comes just two weeks after the big fire on Highport Marina.

But authorities managed to keep this fire on the water to avoid it from spreading to other boats.

The boat remains in the water and the park ranger tells us there's no environmental impact.