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3 Injured In Delaware City Fireboat Crash

DELAWARE CITY, Del. (CBS) – An incident involving members of the Delaware City Fire Company is under investigation and the boat's captain facing charges after a boating accident early Wednesday.

Delaware Fish and Wildlife Enforcement officials say the Delaware City Fire Company's fire-and-rescue vessel struck a rock jetty near the Reedy Point Bridge on the C&D Canal around midnight while the fireboat was assisting in a search for an overdue recreational boat.

The fireboat, a 34-foot Metalcraft Marine aluminum hull vessel, sank following the collision with the jetty.

Fish & Wildlife Enforcement agents at the scene reportedly charged the boat's operator, Edward Kalinowski, 62, of Delaware City, with one count of negligence by operating at excessive speed.

Kalinowski suffered a broken ankle as a result of the crash and was treated and released from Christiana Medical Center. A second fire company member was also treated for facial injuries and release, and a third was kept overnight for observation with back and hip injuries.

The Delaware City Fire Company's fireboat will be raised from the canal later Wednesday. Officials say the overdue recreation boat and its sole occupant were later found safe on the Delaware Bay.

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