Authorities say two retirees from Tuscaloosa, Ala., died early Monday along with their golden retriever after the houseboat they lived on in Scottsboro, Ala., caught fire.
John Phillips Bruce, 79, and Emily Nelson Bruce, 69, lost their lives in a blaze at Goose Pond Colony Marina’s dock 6 around 4 a.m. CDT Monday, Scottsboro Fire Chief Gene Necklaus said. The dog’s name was “Lou.”
Smoke inhalation has been ruled as the cause of death, Necklaus said.
The fire was reported “by a neighboring boater in the same stretch of dock [who] apparently woke up to the smell of smoke,” Necklaus said. “They checked around their boat and then they saw smoke coming from the houseboat in question.”
The neighbors quickly notified firefighters, who found most of the fire damage confined to the living quarters and galley, Necklaus said.