Melted trolling motor foot switch

Just gonna put this out there to see if it has happened to anyone else. I had to make a long troll back to launch this weekend.... Merc thermostats stuck closed..... Anyway, as I approach dock my middle foot button will not break circuit when I let up on it. With time on my hands b/c trailer was coming from across lake...I pulled switch, as wire came outta deck, it was melted together thus causing the continuous circuit. The boats foam was also melted to it. Looks bad bad, like possible fire bad. I pulled the motors wires which I installed and found no corrosion and nothing loose. Just like they were when I installed them. Just the wire in the foam was melted, wire just outta switch and where wire clears foam was ok. I'm sure this had to do with heat displacement. It's not a big foot switch, it's the T&M type. Just a FYI for anyone that had to make a long troll and has the same set up!!!!

Thats some good info but I need to ask a couple questions.
1: what gauge wire are you using?
2: what is the distance from battery to switch?

Not sure of the gauge wire from batts in back of boat, it's a champion coastal champ. Wire is plenty big enough for 24v. But the T&M switch's wire is clearly smaller that the factory set up. The problem arises b/c the switch basically breaks the main current. The wire on switch is just not large enough to handle that current/draw. If I get time I will post a pic. It freaks me out to see wire like that coming outta my deck.

Yeah that was a scary ordeal you went through.
I wired a flatboat for a 12v Tmotor and used 10 gauge stranded wires from the battery to motor, only a short distance of about 12'. Kept burning up the switch on the motor. Took out the 10 gauge wire and put in 8 gauge stranded wire and never burned another switch.
Sounds drastic but I got tired of buying and replacing switches. Figured it had to be the wiring.

I hope you get your problem resolved.