Virginia Fire Boat Accident Leaves Firefighter's Girlfriend Dead, Two
Volunteers Injured

An accident involving a Northern Virginia fire boat has claimed the life of
a young woman and left two firefighters seriously injured.

A 22-foot Boston Whaler fire boat from the Occoquan-Woodbridge-Lorton (OWL)
Voluteer Fire Department was returning from routine holiday patrol of the
area waterways when it hit an unlit marking, throwing the three aboard into
the water, officials said.

Elisa Escalante and OWL volunteers, Roger Donais, 35 and Stewart Young, 24,
were on the way back to the dock.

OWL Fire Chief Rick Arrington told Firehouse.com that the victim was dating
one of the other firefighters aboard the boat, and was planning to put in an
application with the department to become a firefighter herself.

The two firefighters, ages 25 and 35 were not immediately identified. One
suffered a broken nose and dislocated joint, while the second suffered a
concussion, contusions and severe brusies.

The crash totalled the 15-year-old vessel, officials said. Officials are
continuing to investigate the circumstances in the accident.