Make California Post a Preferred Source The husband of iconic ’90s supermodel Kathy Ireland was forced to abandon his burning fishing boat and jump into the Pacific Ocean before being rescued off the coast of Santa Barbara.
Greg Olsen, captain of The 4th Watch, scrambled into a kayak after the vessel’s engine burst into flames roughly 3 miles offshore from El Capitan State Beach in Santa Barbara County on Tuesday afternoon.
Olsen was flying solo aboard the vessel, which Ireland has proudly referred to as her ship, serving as her husband’s first mate.
Trouble struck around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday when the boat became disabled and called for a commercial tow, according to the US Coast Guard.
But things quickly went from bad to worse when flames erupted, forcing Olsen to abandon ship and jump overboard.
He managed to scramble into a kayak before a good Samaritan swooped in and pulled him to safety.
Olsen was subsequently transferred to a Santa Barbara City Harbor Patrol boat but did not suffer any injuries.
Ireland confirmed the scary incident in an Instagram comment on Olsen’s post mourning his boat, named 4th Watch.
“My heart is both heavy and full. Heavy because I know the love, sweat and life you poured into this vessel. This vessel brought so much joy and so many blessings to our family and countless others,” she commented.
“I’m so thankful to all who rushed to pray and come to your rescue. I’m so thankful God gifted you with a brilliant mind to navigate this disaster so seamlessly. I’m eternally thankful to Him for loving and rescuing you. Though the vessel is no more, the 4th Watch is forever.”
“I loved her. This is how she deserves to be remembered. I’m so so sad,” Olsen said of the boat.
Emergency personnel from multiple agencies responded to the blaze off the Gaviota Coast, according to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office photographed the scene. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Olsen is a physician who spent about four decades practicing emergency medicine before retiring and pursuing commercial fishing. He is also associated with 4th Watch Seafood, a commercial fishing operation based at Santa Barbara Harbor.
Ireland rose to fame as one of the most recognizable models of the 1980s and ’90s, appearing in 13 consecutive Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues, including three covers. Her 1989 cover became one of the magazine’s bestselling issues.
She later built a business empire, founding Kathy Ireland Worldwide in 1993 and transforming the brand licensing company into a multibillion-dollar enterprise.
The couple celebrated their 38th wedding anniversary in 2026, but have also been dealing with a legal dispute over their finances.
In March 2026, they sued their business managers, accusing them of financial mismanagement.The lawsuit followed the sale of their six-bedroom, seven-bathroom Montecito estate last October for $13.5 million.
Olsen’s is the second boat fire reported in the area this week. On Monday, emergency responders rescued two people off a burning boat offshore of Montecito. That incident was much closer to shore, and a smoke plume was clearly visible from Butterfly Beach.
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