A dramatic video shows the terrifying moment a boat exploded near a Fort Lauderdale sandbar on Memorial Day, hurling several people , including two children, into the water in a burst of flames.
The video, taken just before 6 p.m. Monday near Lauderdale Marina, captures the boat bursting into fire and victims tumbling overboard. Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue said 13 people were onboard, including a dog. Ten of them, eight adults and two children ages 5 and 7, were rushed to the hospital. The children were taken to the burn unit at Jackson Memorial Hospital and are in fair condition, while the adults are listed in good condition.
Boat explosion caught on video
The explosion occurred near 9th Street, in a popular boating area where sandbars attract holiday crowds.
Fire officials said the boat was anchored when it suddenly erupted. The video showed the blast followed by frantic splashing as bystanders jumped into the water to help.
Bret Triano, who was nearby at the time, said the boat had just been refueled when it exploded.
“There was a huge fireball and people were kind of falling off the boat,” he said. “One man was yelling, ‘Save me, please don’t let me die, I’m so hot, I need water.'”
Triano and others rushed over in a dinghy to pull victims from the water as others called 911.
Burned father says gas leak may be to blame
Antonio Rivera, one of the burn victims, said he believes a fuel leak may have caused the explosion.
“We tried to fuel up the boat and it must’ve been a gas leak and a spark went off and an explosion,” Rivera said. “My wife and my kids, they’ll be okay — there’s nothing permanent — but they did get third-degree burns.”
Officials said a dog on board was rescued and is unharmed.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Fort Lauderdale Police are now investigating the cause of the blast.
“There are no fatalities as far as we know,” said Fire Rescue spokesperson Frank Guzman, adding that some of the injuries were classified as Level 1 traumas due to their severity.
