Four fishermen treated for suspected gas inhalation

Port of Timaru.

Four fishermen were treated for suspected gas inhalation after a refrigerant leak on their boat at Timaru harbour today.

The Fire Service was called to a reported blaze aboard a Sanford Fisheries vessel at the harbour about 11.30am.

But when firefighters arrived, they found that what was reported as smoke was in fact a leak of freon refrigerant gas.

Donning breathing apparatus, they went aboard the vessel with a Sanford engineer to contain the leak.

Four fishermen were treated at the scene by St John but none of them were injured or taken to hospital.

A Fire Service spokesman said freon can be harmful in concentrated forms.

But in this instance, it was venting into open air and dispersing safely.

Emergency services have now left the scene.