A boat explosion near the Fort Lauderdale Yacht Club on Memorial Day evening injured 13 people, including two children, Florida fire officials said.
The 39-foot vessel exploded around 5:30 p.m. on May 26, likely due to fuel vapors igniting a flash fire when the boat was started, according to Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue. Surveillance footage captured the moment the boat suddenly burst into flames, throwing several passengers into the water.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, there were 15 people aboard at the time of the explosion. Eleven passengers, including two children ages 5 and 7, were transported to the Jackson Memorial Hospital's burn unit in Miami.
Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue spokesperson Frank Guzman told members of the media that fuel vapors likely caused a "fireball" that immediately covered the vessel.
"A lot of them had burns to much of their body," Guzman said.
Two bystanders who witnessed the explosion called 911 and helped rescue a man from the water. They described the scene as chaotic.
"He was saying, 'Save me, please don't let me die,'" said Bret Triano, one of the witnesses who spoke to reporters.
"There was this boat trying to leave the sandbar and when they went to start their boat up, it just exploded," Triano added.
According to aerial footage from NBC 6, multiple agencies responded to the scene, including Fort Lauderdale Police, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the Broward Sheriff's Office, assisting Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue.
Antonio Rivero, one of the passengers and the father of the two injured children, spoke to the station and described the terrifying moment.
"We tried to fuel up the boat, and there must have been a gas leak," Rivero said. "You know, a spark went off — then the explosion. One of the guys had his pants blown off. It was bad."
Rivero, 32, suffered burns to his arm. His wife, Cassandra, and their two children remain hospitalized.
"They're okay because they're on a lot of meds, but other than that, they're fine," he said.
Officials confirmed the eight adults who were injured are in good condition, while the two boys are in fair condition. All are expected to recover.
Monday's explosion was the second major boat fire in Fort Lauderdale in recent months. In December 2024, one person was killed and at least five others were hospitalized after a boat exploded while refueling at the Lauderdale Marina.
According to the Miami Herald, Florida's FWC investigated 33 boat fires and explosions last year, with half of the cases involving fuel as reported in the agency's annual report.
FLFR extinguishing two fires after a boat exploded at the Lauderdale Marina. A total of six people injured. We transported five to area hospitals, three with traumatic injuries. The sixth was missing in the water and located by BSO after a lengthy search, deceased unfortunately. pic.twitter.com/Ctx677NHhS
— FLFR PIO (@FLFR411) December 24, 2024
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