It was ferries to the rescue after a yacht caught fire at Kangaroo Point on Thursday morning.
A Brisbane CityCat was first on scene when smoke began billowing about 9.40am from the yacht moored directly opposite the Riverside Ferry terminal.
More QLD News Videos
Man fights yacht fire
A CityCat operator comes to the rescue of a yachtsman in the Brisbane river on Thursday after his boat caught fire.
The ferry operator handed the crew a large fire extinguisher according to witness Peter Strempel, and then moved around to spray water on the yacht with its water cannon before docking.
A fire crew arrived about 10am on a CityFerry, but thanks to the first vessel and two nearby boaties the fire had been extinguished by the time they arrived.
![The operator of a CityCat was first to reach the burning yacht.](/web/20170224111020im_/http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/j/l/h/4/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gujkur.png/1487827614843.jpg)
Station officer at the Kemp Place Fire Station and responder Michael Pearce said the fire crew used a ferry to reach the yacht because it was the quickest way to get out there.
"You've got to use whatever resources you've got, in our eyes there's a boat there ready to go," he said.
"I asked the ferry driver to take me there, when we got there the elderly man was quite distressed, with burns to his hands and he was visibly shaken."
The man, in his 70s, was taken back to the ferry terminal and then transported to Mater Hospital by paramedics.
![Firefighters reached the yacht by riding a CityFerry.](/web/20170224111020im_/http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/j/l/t/e/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gujkur.png/1487827614843.jpg)
"Water police transported us, the fire crew, back to vessel just to isolate the gas, electrics," he said.
The witness Mr Strempel said the CityCat operator did a great job fighting the fire.
"Ferry captain deserves a commendation for quick thinking that probably saved the boat, and maybe its crew as well," he said.
Mr Pearce said the help from the CityCat operator was "invaluable", as were the actions of neighbouring boaties.
"That's just the way of the water, if you see someone in trouble you're going to do whatever you can to help," he said.
"The CityCat operator knew they had the capability to assist in fighting the fire.
"Two other neighbouring boaties from 20 or 50 metres away were there, they stayed with the elderly gentlemen, making sure he was OK."
Boaties and passersby made more than 100 triple-zero calls about the incident, Mr Pearce said.
"The fire was external, not inside the cabin, so even though it was quite extensively damaged externally he'll still be able to salvage it," he said.
"With hard work it will certainly be right to continue sailing and living on."
In a statement, Transdev Brisbane Ferries said all their crews routinely trained for all types of river emergencies, and they commended their crews' proactiveness and professionalism in dealing with the fire.