A Fort Lauderdale boat exploded on Memorial Day, resulting in 11 people being transported to a local hospital. Two children are among the injured, with all victims suffering from serious burns and injuries caused by the explosion.
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According to WSVN, citing the Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue (FLFR), the incident occurred around 5:45 on Monday, May 26, at the Lauderdale Yacht Club located on 12th Street. Reportedly, a vessel exploded in the Intracoastal Waterway. At the time, the boat had 13 people on board.
The FLFR reported that 11 people suffered serious injuries and burns. All victims, including the two children, were transported to Broward Health Medical Center.
“Good Samaritans came over right away and started to rescue them,” FLFR spokesperson Frank Guzman said. “We transported a total of 11 people to Broward Health Medical Center; two of them were children. We also rescued a dog that was on the boat, and the dog is OK.”
At around 10 p.m. on Monday, eight out of the 11 injured were in stable condition. Hospital staff revealed that the children, ages 5 and 7, were in fair condition.
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One witness, Christopher Blackwood, revealed he “heard a loud explosion” at the time of the incident. He was fishing at the time, according to WSVN.
“When I looked at the boat, I saw the gas vapor go into the air,” Blackwood said. “I saw people jump into the water. Something inside exploded. You just have to be safe; you have got to know what you’re doing.”
Antonio Rivera, one of the victims and the father of the two injured children, believes that the explosion might have been caused by a gas leak.
“A spark went off and [there was] an explosion,” Rivera said, as per CBS News. “My wife and my kids — they’ll be okay. There’s nothing permanent, but they did get burned.”
Reportedly, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the FLFR, and the U.S. Coast Guard are currently investigating the incident.
“It’s too soon to know how this happened,” Guzman told WSVN. “We have a fire investigator on the scene as well, and once we know more, we can share that.”