FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Surveillance video from a nearby home shows the terrifying moments that a boat exploded on the water Monday in Fort Lauderdale, injuring nine adults and two children.
A spokesperson for Jackson Memorial Hospital confirmed that a man who was injured in the explosion was discharged from the hospital Monday night.
Eight adults remain hospitalized, along with two children who are in critical condition, as of Tuesday.
Hospital officials confirmed two adults are also in critical condition, four are in serious condition and two are in good condition.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the explosion occurred around 6 p.m. Memorial Day.
FWC officials said 15 people were onboard the 39-foot Sea Ray when the explosion occurred. Fire officials said fuel vapors likely caused a flash fire on the boat.
4 p.m. report:
A witness described the moment he saw passengers jumping for their lives in Fort Lauderdale’s Intracoastal.
“When they went to start their boat up, it just exploded,” Brett Triano said. “There was a huge fireball, and people were kinda falling off the boat.”
Firefighters say it happened Monday night near Southeast 10th Street. The boat was said to be anchored near a sandbar.
“Just got burned in the boat explosion just now. Tried to fuel up the boat -- must have been a gas leak and you know, a spark went off, explosion,” a victim, who did not want to give his name, said. “The other people, their legs are ripped up to shreds. The guy’s pants were blown off, so it was bad.”
The man, who was bandaged and burned, said his children and wife were burned as well, but are expected to recover.
He said others on the boat were badly burned.
Triano described rescuing one victim from the water who had serious burn injuries.
“He was saying, ‘Save me. Please don’t let me die. I am so hot. I need water,” Triano said. “He kept repeating, ‘I want water.’”
Frank Guzman, with Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue, said some of the victims were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Burn Unit with significant burns to their body.
The explosion is being investigated by multiple agencies, including the FWC and the U.S. Coast Guard.
