Father burned in Fort Lauderdale boat explosion recounts horror: "It was terrifying"
Antonio Rivera was still reeling from the pain when he recounted the harrowing moment his family's holiday outing turned into a nightmare.
Rivera, his wife, and their children were among 11 people injured Monday afternoon when a boat exploded near a popular sandbar in Fort Lauderdale. It was Memorial Day, and the family had anchored their vessel near 9th Street, a hotspot for boaters.
Victim believes gas leak triggered Fort Lauderdale boat explosion
"We tried to fuel up the boat and it must've been a gas leak," Rivera said in an interview shortly after the blast. "A spark went off and an explosion."
The father said he suffered burns in the explosion, as did his wife and kids.
"They'll be okay — there's nothing permanent — but they did get third-degree burns," he said. "It was terrifying."
Witnesses rushed to help as boat passengers were thrown into the water
Rivera described a chaotic scene as the blast sent passengers flying into the water. Witnesses rushed to help. One of them, Bret Triano, was nearby when he saw a fireball engulf the boat.
"When they went to start their boat up, it just exploded," Triano said. "People were kind of falling off the boat."
Triano and others jumped into a dinghy and raced toward the scene. In the water, he found Rivera.
"He was saying, 'Save me, please don't let me die, I'm so hot, I need water,'" Triano recalled.
Fort Lauderdale officials confirm boat explosion injured 11
Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue confirmed the explosion occurred around 5:45 p.m. near the sandbar. All 11 people aboard were injured and taken to the hospital. Two of the victims are children. A dog that was also on board was rescued unharmed.
Several patients with serious burns were later transferred to Jackson Memorial Hospital, which has a specialized burn unit.
Fort Lauderdale police, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), and fire investigators are working to determine what caused the blast.
"For reasons that we don't know yet, a boat exploded," said Frank Guzman, public information officer for Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue. "It tossed people into the water. Good Samaritans came over right away and started rescuing them."
There were no reported fatalities.
Rivera hopes tragedy raises awareness about boat safety
Rivera said he's grateful to those who helped save him and his family — and he hopes sharing what happened will help prevent future tragedies.
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