The newest boat in the D.C. fire department’s three-vessel fleet sank Wednesday morning while docked at a marina at the Southwest Waterfront Park. Officials said they are investigating a possible mechanical failure.
The loss, at least temporarily, of Fireboat 3, a 29-foot-long boat built in 2014 at a cost of about $300,000, leaves the department’s coverage of the District waterways depleted.
The similarly sized Fireboat 2 was sold, and its replacement is about a month away from arriving, said Dabney Hudson, the president of the firefighter’s labor union; it was confirmed by a department spokesman.