A Newburyport Fire Department fire boat sank while docked at Cashman Park on the Merrimack River overnight, and an investigation is now underway to determine the cause.
Fire officials said the boat sank overnight Thursday or early Friday morning. A pedestrian who was walking in the area around 4 a.m. Friday called police after noticing the boat partially submerged.
The tide was going out at the time, and crews planned to raise the boat and remove it from the water around 8:30 a.m., just before the 9 a.m. low tide.
The boat, named Raven II, is a 2007 MetalCraft Marine FireStorm 30 High Speed Aluminum Fireboat, fire officials said. It was acquired by the department in 2020 from the Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Fire Department.
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Newburyport police and the harbormaster are investigating the cause of the sinking. The boat had been used on the Merrimack River over the past week, taking part in the search and recovery operation for a 6-year-old who was ultimately found dead earlier this week.
