A sailor is in hospital after flames engulfed a 40-foot boat in waters off the Gold Coast.
The boat caught fire at about 11am while sailing about 20kms off the coast of Burleigh Heads.
A Queensland Police Service spokeswoman said the sole passenger on board suffered serious burns.
Smoke from the fire was reportedly visible from the mainland.
This photo taken by reporter @Bianca_Stone shows smoke coming from what is believed to be a boat off the #GoldCoast pic.twitter.com/fFnkBSje7I — 7News Brisbane (@7NewsBrisbane) February 1, 2015
Police believe another boat owner rescued the sailor, whose age and gender are unknown, before taking them to shore.
It's believed a doctor from a third boat treated the injured sailor on the way to shore.
Paramedics took the patient to the Gold Coast University Hospital shortly before 12.15pm with what was described as "partial thickness burns".
A Queensland Ambulance spokesman wasn't able to further elaborate on the sailor's condition.
Reports one person has been badly burnt in a fire on board a boat about 4-5 NM off the
#GoldCoast
pic.twitter.com/Z4lGujEfNM — 7News Brisbane (@7NewsBrisbane)
February 1, 2015
