SARASOTA, Florida — Fred Breitwieser was fishing for grouper off Casey Key Tuesday when he saw smoke on the horizon and sped off to help two Sarasota scuba divers whose boat had exploded in flames. It never occurred to the Venice retiree that someone stranded 14 miles offshore might be reluctant to be rescued. "It appeared like this guy wanted to go down with his ship," Breitwieser said Wednesday, recounting the afternoon rescue. Breitwieser was fishing with three friends when they saw the 48-foot Sea Ray owned by Jorge Leyva, 52, catch fire in the distance. Leyva and his diving partner, Julian Savigne, were clinging to a life raft when the fishermen arrived around 2 p.m. Savigne was exhausted and climbed into the rescue boat, but Leyva "didn't want to get out of the water," Breitwieser said. Amy Leyva explained that her husband was distraught over the boat, which he had spent countless hours restoring over the last six years. The family spent most of their free time on the waters around Sarasota and the Florida Keys. "He didn't want to leave his boat," Leyva said. "He was hoping that they could put the fire out and he could stay there with it. A captain never leaves his vessel." The boat was 80 percent engulfed in flames and smoke could be seen from shore. Police eventually convinced Leyva to head back to shore. He did not return a telephone message left with his wife. Breitwieser and his friends belong to the Freedom Boat Club. Club President Bob Dailey said members assist in half a dozen distressed boater rescues a year. The fire may have stemmed from a gas generator on the boat. Leyva said her husband was diving in 35-foot water with a rig that pumped oxygen through a hose so the diver could go without a tank under water. The generator powering the rig may have sparked an explosion in one or more of the oxygen tanks while the divers were under water, she said. Breitwieser said the fishermen were happy to help. "It's the responsibility of any captain to go to an SOS," he said. Coast guard officials say Leyva is responsible for salvaging the boat. by Zac Anderson | 
