Couple reflects on fiery Lake Powell houseboat rescue

LAKE POWELL, Utah — Jake and Courtney Cahoon are still somewhat in shock at what happened just days ago. There were 15 family members including themselves on their ski boat as they noticed that house boat, going up in flames.

“Jump, jump. Get the baby,” one person is heard shouting in the video of the rescue.

We’re going behind the scenes of an unimaginable video sent to us this week. A boat erupting into flames on Lake Powell, with nearby boaters jumping into action to help the family on board escape disaster.

Courtney Cahoon says her husband Jake’s father immediately started steering toward the houseboat.

Jake and his brother, and cousins all jumped into action, calling out to the family of 25 on the houseboat to swim over. While some of them got in the water themselves to help lift people onto the ski boat.

They say one other boater and a park ranger boat also pulled some people out of the water.

They say they could feel the intense heat of the fire from 20 to 30 feet away and can only imagine what the other family was feeling.

Jake Cahoon says they really had no idea what to expect when realizing the house boat could have exploded at any time, but his father decided they had to go in and help.

“I’m so grateful that everyone’s okay, because after it all ended and we all went back to our houseboat, we were teary-eyed and just like grateful everyone was okay, so yeah it was crazy, but I’m so glad for the outcome that it was,” Cahoon said.

As we told you earlier this week, one of our KSL producers happened to be on that house boat with her family. She said they heard a loud boom and found the motor had exploded.

Amazingly, everyone is okay. The Cahoons are of course grateful that everyone got out safely.