Inferno on the Wizard: Captain Keith’s Crew Rescues Young Deckhand in Near-Tragedy at Sea

Bering Sea — What began as a routine day of crab fishing aboard the Wizard turned into a desperate fight for survival when a sudden fire erupted below deck, nearly costing the life of one of Captain Keith Colburn’s youngest crewmen.

For hours that morning, the Wizard had been tracking crab migration lines some 25 miles north, dropping test pots along a temperature break known to hold heavy concentrations of crab. Spirits were high as readings stabilized around 46.2°F, an indicator that a lucrative haul might be ahead. “That’s where those crabs should be,” Captain Keith noted over the radio as the crew worked the deck.

But the optimism quickly soured. The Wizard became entangled in stray fishing line — “poly” — left adrift by another vessel. The rope threatened to snarl in the ship’s propeller as currents pulled the vessel sideways. “The last thing I need is poly in my wheel,” Keith warned as his crew scrambled to free the tangle. The men worked fast, clearing the danger in the rolling seas.

Then disaster struck.

“Smoke in the bow! Holy—smoke in the bow!” came the alarm from the deck. Flames had erupted beneath them.

The immediate concern was Tyler, a young hand working below deck to rig buoys when the fire ignited. The crew’s worst fears were confirmed when they heard his screams rising through the smoke.

“Was Tyler on deck or is Tyler down right now?” a voice shouted urgently across the deck. “He’s downstairs!” came the reply.

What followed was a frantic rescue effort that could have ended in tragedy. The hatch was jammed shut against the smoke and heat. Captain Keith ordered the crane brought in to rip it open, while other crew members scrambled to ready firefighting gear. “Get the sling on him somehow!” one deckhand yelled as they fought through smoke and confusion.

Every second felt like an eternity. “This is taking way too long,” another crewman shouted as Tyler’s muffled cries echoed below.

Finally, with the hatch pried open, the sling was lowered into the smoke-filled compartment. Tyler was hoisted out, limp but alive, as the crew cheered and pulled him to safety. The hatch was slammed shut again and the Wizard’s CO₂ suppression system triggered, flooding the compartment with gas to suffocate the fire.

“I just about lost my best friend’s son,” Captain Keith admitted afterward, visibly shaken by how close the crew had come to tragedy.

For Tyler, it was a brush with death that underscored the perilous nature of crab fishing. One moment he was rigging a line, the next he was trapped in a burning compartment, dependent on his crewmates’ courage and quick thinking to survive.

The ordeal left the crew rattled but united. Their years of training, instincts, and bond as shipmates had saved a life. “We got everybody. Tyler’s inside,” one crewman reported over the radio after the rescue, relief heavy in his voice.

Fishing in the Bering Sea has long been considered one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. Between sub-zero temperatures, rogue waves, and heavy machinery, even the most seasoned crews face constant threats. Fire, however, remains one of the deadliest dangers aboard any vessel — silent, fast-moving, and unforgiving in its destruction.

Though the Wizard’s fire was brought under control, operations were halted until the vessel could be safely assessed. For Captain Keith and his men, the close call served as another reminder of the razor-thin margin between life and death on the high seas.

As the Wizard rides out yet another stormy chapter in its long history, one thing remains certain: crab fishing may be about profit, but for those who risk their lives on the deck, survival will always come first.