Two people were transported to the hospital after an 18 foot bow rider boat caught fire and sunk last night near the World Of Life dock at Schroon Lake.

Fire Chief Paul McCann said the boat was completely destroyed by the fire, which broke out around 7.30 pm shortly after the boat owner had refuelled the vessel.

"It appears that the engine compartment was not ventilated after the boat was fuelled up," Chief McCann told Schroon Laker today.

Fifteen members of the Schroon Lake Volunteer Fire Department responded to blaze which was extinguished with the department's fire boat and fire fighters on the dock.

The boat sunk about 500 feet off shore when the department attempted to tow it back. McCann said a private dive company will remove the wreck today, which sits in about 35 to 40 feet of water.

Schroon Lake EMS transported the owner and a passenger to the hospital in Ticonderoga. Chief McCann did not know the extent of the injuries, which were described to him as "minor".

The Chief said all boat owners can take away a valuable lesson from last night's fire: the importance of always ventilating the engine compartment of a boat.