Kathy Ireland thanks crews who rescued husband Greg Olsen from boat fire

Kathy Ireland's husband, Greg Olsen, escaped in a kayak after his commercial fishing boat's engine exploded Nov. 10 about 20 nautical miles west of Santa Barbara Harbor, and nearby crewboats rescued him.

Ireland, a model and actress, posted video of the burning 4th Watch on Instagram on Nov. 13. The 63-year-old said Olsen had been aboard alone because she was "on the road for business and grandchildren."

Ireland wrote that after the engine exploded, "a fire quickly melted all navigation equipment and survival raft." She added, "Most of all, we thank our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for this miracle of his survival."

The first request for help concerned a disabled vessel. Towing company TowBoatUS Ventura said on Instagram that the call arrived shortly after 3 p.m. The initial report described engine and electrical failures that had left the boat without radio or navigation equipment.

Olsen called a friend after losing radio contact, and that friend passed information to the company using its working frequency. TowBoatUS Ventura was getting a towboat ready for what it believed was a non-emergency electrical issue when it learned about the fire.

Olsen first tried to extinguish the flames, then switched on his EPIRB emergency locator and left the boat in a kayak. "The commercial fishing vessel operator was prepared and did everything right," TowBoatUS Ventura said.

A post shared by Channel Watch Marine Services Inc. DBA TowBoatUS Ventura (@towboatus_ventura) on Instagram

SoCal Ship Services crewboats servicing oil platforms nearby reached the scene quickly after the distress call. The Ryan T pulled Olsen from the kayak and, alongside a second crewboat, began battling the fire with hoses and fire monitors.

The second vessel, Stetson Ray, collected a paramedic from an oil platform on its way, though Olsen ultimately needed no medical assistance.

Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol helped fight the fire before returning Olsen to the harbor. TowBoatUS Ventura dispatched two towboats carrying damage-control equipment to retrieve the 4th Watch and bring it to Santa Barbara. The fire was eventually extinguished, TowBoatUS Ventura said, according to People.

"This was about as good an outcome as one could hope for in an otherwise serious emergency," the company said. "A well-prepared mariner, good samaritans nearby, and commercial vessels equipped and ready to respond made all the difference."

Ireland thanked those who responded. "Grateful for @towboatus_ventura and the entire community for responding so quickly," she wrote.

In a message to her husband, Ireland wrote that God had given him a "brilliant mind" to handle the emergency. "My heart is both heavy and full. Heavy because I know the love, sweat and life you poured into this vessel," she wrote.

"This is more than a boat, there are many implications," Ireland wrote.

The 4th Watch was part of the couple's working life. Olsen, a retired doctor who runs a commercial fishing operation, skippered the vessel. In July 2025, Ireland announced on Instagram that she had obtained an open ocean commercial fishing license and joined the boat as lobster crew with "Captain Greg Olsen." She called it "more exciting than getting my drivers license."

A post shared by Kathy Ireland (@kathyireland) on Instagram

Ireland and Olsen have three children and have been married since 1988.

The cause of the explosion was not immediately known.

"Though the vessel is no more, the 4th Watch is forever," Ireland wrote to her husband. "You named that boat so profoundly."