Tahoe Douglas Rotary launches Phoenix, the Tahoe Life Boat helping on the water

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. - Just as the immortal bird Phoenix rose from the ashes, the damaged Tahoe Douglas fireboat has resurfaced as Phoenix, a new lifeboat to help those on Lake Tahoe.

There were winds over 65 miles per hour and waves 6-8 feet on a stormy night in January 2022 when the Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District (TDFPD) lost the high-tech fireboat that philanthropist Lisa Maloff and others helped purchase for the department. The boat crashed into the pier, suffered damaged engines, and took on water for hours, damaging much of its electrical components.

The incident became a passion for members of the Tahoe Douglas Rotary Club which had a vision to restore the boat and then put it into service for any government or non-profit agency in the Tahoe Basin needing a boat. Phoenix can now be used for multiple purposes including being a reserve fireboat, a platform for picking up trash, invasive weeds and algae, a fill-in when a law enforcement boat is down for maintenance or there’s a big event like July 4th, educational trips, etc.

The club fundraised to purchase the boat for $40,000 from the party who first purchased the damaged boat at auction, then replaced the engines and got it lake-ready for about $200,000. Douglas County also helped with unused federal relief funds and club members raised the rest. Much of the refurbishing work was done locally.

In Greek mythology, the phoenix is reborn by rising from the ashes of its predecessor - which can represent the idea of a fresh start, hope, and the triumph of life over death.

The Phoenix in Lake Tahoe is just that. It was rechristened by the Rotary Club and TDFPD at the Round Hill Pines pier last week.

Now valued at $650,000, it was a lot of hard work to get the Phoenix to where she is today - 800 HP, can pump up to 2200 gallons of water a minute (compare that to 2.5 gallons a minute in your home shower), has a sonar, radar and dive platform.

Much of the work and vision was that of Greg Felton, past president of Tahoe Douglas Rotary and a passionate sailor, and boater.

Tahoe Douglas Rotary set up the Tahoe Life Boat Foundation to manage her, and they’re now ramping up relationships with more organizations such as law, fire, conservation districts, Clean Up The Lake, South Lake Tahoe Windjammer YC, and Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority. They are in the process of creating MOUs (Memorandum of Understanding) to use when they are utilizing the boat to help their partners.

The boat is currently docked in the Tahoe Keys but ultimately the club would like it at Zephyr Cove when proposed improvements are made to the pier to host health and safety assets such as law, fire, and Department of Wildlife. This would allow Phoenix to be protected, and able to be deployed year-round, if needed.

For more information, and to inquire on how to help with annual operational costs, visit https://tahoelifeboat.org/. They are also accepting donations of specialized search gear (underwater drone, magnetometer).