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CBS News
6 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Second boat explosion in 6 months injures 11 near Fort Lauderdale sandbar
For the second time in less than six months, a boat explosion has rocked the waters off Fort Lauderdale, this time injuring 11 people and prompting a multi-agency emergency response near a popular sandbar. Surveillance video captured the moment the vessel, which had 15 people on board, exploded near 15th Street Fisheries shortly before 6 p.m. Monday, according to Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue. Explosion caught on video Captain Cole Sisler, who recorded the explosion, said he has seen similar incidents before and noted that gasoline vapors from the carburetor or fuel vents can ignite during fueling or mechanical issues. "It's something I've seen many times before unfortunately," Sisler said. "What happens unfortunately with these boats is, especially during fueling or mechanical issues, the gasoline vapors from the carburetor, fuel vents, will billow in the engine department." Bret Triano, who witnessed the explosion from his dinghy, described a large fireball and people falling from the boat. He said he helped rescue a man he saw flailing in the water. "When they went to start their boat up, it just exploded," Triano said. "There was a huge fire ball and people were kind of falling off the boat." Injuries, investigation ongoing The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirmed that 11 people were injured. A dog on board was also rescued and is in good health. Antonio Rivera, who was on the boat with his 7- and 5-year-old sons, said outside the hospital that his family suffered burns in the explosion. "Burned in the boat explosion just now. 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." Two children and two adults are in critical condition, four adults are in serious condition and two others are listed in good condition. All 10 patients are expected to remain at Jackson Memorial Hospital for at least another night, authorities said. Second explosion since December Authorities noted that this marks at least the second boat explosion in the same area in under six months. In December, a separate explosion left one man dead and several others injured. Multiple agencies are currently investigating the cause of Monday's incident.
CBS News
6 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Several people, including children, still hospitalized after Fort Lauderdale boat explosion, authorities say
Seven adults and two young children remain hospitalized Tuesday after a fiery boat explosion near a popular Fort Lauderdale sandbar on Memorial Day that injured 11 people, according to authorities and hospital officials. Florida wildlife officials said 15 people were on board the vessel when it suddenly exploded on the water just before 6 p.m. Monday. Video of the blast, captured by a nearby boat captain, showed flames erupting from the vessel as passengers were thrown into the water. Authorities said the explosion likely stemmed from a gasoline leak that ignited during refueling. Of the 11 people injured, 10 were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital's burn center in Miami. One man has since been discharged. Hospital staff said the remaining patients — seven adults and two children, ages 5 and 7 — are in good and fair condition, respectively. Several of the victims suffered serious burns, including third-degree injuries. "We tried to fuel up the boat, and it must've been a gas leak," said Antonio Rivera, one of the victims, who is also the father of the two injured boys. "A spark went off and [there was] an explosion. My wife and my kids — they'll be okay. There's nothing permanent, but they did get burned." Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue confirmed that a dog on board the boat was rescued and is in good health. Multiple agencies, including the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue, and the U.S. Coast Guard, are investigating the cause of the explosion. Witnesses said similar incidents involving gasoline fumes have occurred at the same fueling dock in the past year. Despite the severity of the burns, hospital officials say all patients are expected to recover.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Father caught in Fort Lauderdale boat explosion describes ‘terrifying' blast that burned his children
A father has described surviving a 'terrifying' boat explosion in Fort Lauderdale on Memorial Day that left 11 people, including his two young children suffering from burns. Antonio Rivera was one of the 13 people on board when the accident happened at approximately 5.45pm on Monday afternoon. He told CBS News that the driver had been attempting to restart the engine after refueling, intending to return the party to shore along the Intracoastal Waterway. 'We tried to fuel up the boat and it must've been a gas leak,' Rivera said. 'A spark went off and an explosion.' The strength of the blast threw members of the group into the water and caused a flash fire, according to Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue spokesperson Frank Guzman. The injured were subsequently rescued by members of the public and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and taken to nearby Broward Health Medical Center for treatment. Those suffering severe burns were subsequently transferred on to a specialist unit at Jackson Memorial Hospital. The remaining two boaters and a dog were reportedly unharmed. Rivera said his wife and children, aged just five and seven, had been wounded but added: 'They'll be okay – there's nothing permanent – but they did get third-degree burns. It was terrifying.' Eyewitness Bret Triano said he had seen the boat engulfed by a fireball and rushed to help, along with several others, by jumping into a dinghy. 'When they went to start their boat up, it just exploded. People were kind of falling off the boat,' he said. Triano said he found Rivera in the water: 'He was saying, 'Save me, please don't let me die, I'm so hot, I need water.'' The vessel had been anchored at a sandbar near the waterway's New River Triangle, a popular congregating point for boaters on holiday weekends, at the time of the explosion. The USCG has since posted on social media that a salvage operation is underway and that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission is investigating precisely what caused the incident.
The Independent
6 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Father caught in Fort Lauderdale boat explosion describes ‘terrifying' blast that burned his children
A father has described surviving a 'terrifying' boat explosion in Fort Lauderdale on Memorial Day that left 11 people, including his two young children suffering from burns. Antonio Rivera was one of the 13 people on board when the accident happened at approximately 5.45pm on Monday afternoon. He told CBS News that the driver had been attempting to restart the engine after refueling, intending to return the party to shore along the Intracoastal Waterway. 'We tried to fuel up the boat and it must've been a gas leak,' Rivera said. 'A spark went off and an explosion.' The strength of the blast threw members of the group into the water and caused a flash fire, according to Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue spokesperson Frank Guzman. The injured were subsequently rescued by members of the public and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and taken to nearby Broward Health Medical Center for treatment. Those suffering severe burns were subsequently transferred on to a specialist unit at Jackson Memorial Hospital. The remaining two boaters and a dog were reportedly unharmed. Rivera said his wife and children, aged just five and seven, had been wounded but added: 'They'll be okay – there's nothing permanent – but they did get third-degree burns. It was terrifying.' Eyewitness Bret Triano said he had seen the boat engulfed by a fireball and rushed to help, along with several others, by jumping into a dinghy. 'When they went to start their boat up, it just exploded. People were kind of falling off the boat,' he said. Triano said he found Rivera in the water: 'He was saying, 'Save me, please don't let me die, I'm so hot, I need water.'' The vessel had been anchored at a sandbar near the waterway's New River Triangle, a popular congregating point for boaters on holiday weekends, at the time of the explosion. The USCG has since posted on social media that a salvage operation is underway and that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission is investigating precisely what caused the incident.
CBS News
6 days ago
- CBS News
11 injured, including 2 children, in Fort Lauderdale boat explosion, officials say
Eleven people, including two children, were injured after a boat exploded Monday afternoon near a popular sandbar in Fort Lauderdale, officials said. Witnesses described a chaotic scene, with one man using his dinghy to help pull victims from the water. Explosion near sandbar sends people flying into water Frank Guzman, public information officer for Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue, said the explosion occurred around 5:45 p.m. near 9th Street, where a sandbar draws boaters and beachgoers on holiday weekends. The boat was anchored at the time. "For reasons that we don't know yet, a boat exploded," Guzman said during a Monday afternoon press conference. "It tossed people into the water. Good Samaritans came over right away and started rescuing them." Witness describes fireball and desperate pleas for help Bret Triano was nearby when the explosion happened and quickly sprang into action. "When they went to start their boat up, it just exploded. There was a huge fireball and people were kind of falling off the boat," said Triano. He and others jumped into his dinghy to help. "Once someone was calling 911, we just got in our dinghy and headed over there," he said. Triano said he tried to assist a man who was struggling in the water. "He was saying, 'Save me, please don't let me die, I'm so hot, I need water.'" Victim believes fuel leak sparked blast Antonio Rivera, one of the victims, believes the explosion may have been caused by a gas leak during refueling. "Burned in the boat explosion just now," Rivera said. "We tried to fuel up the boat and it must've been a gas leak and a spark went off and an explosion. My wife and my kids, they'll be okay, there's nothing permanent but they did get third-degree burns." 11 people, 2 children and dog onboard According to Guzman, all 11 people injured and transported to the hospital were aboard the boat. Two of the victims are children. "A dog that was also on board was rescued and is unharmed," he added. Burn victims taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital All patients were initially taken to Broward Health Medical Center. Several with serious burns were later transferred to Jackson Memorial Hospital, which has a specialized burn unit. "We don't have an exact number on how many patients are going to Jackson," Guzman said, "but a number of the people were transported as what we call Level 1 traumas. That means they're significantly hurt." Investigation underway The cause of the explosion has not been confirmed. Fire investigators are on the scene, along with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and Fort Lauderdale Police. "There are no fatalities as far as we know," Guzman said.
