Images via rawsalerts/X
A sudden explosion rocked a Fort Lauderdale, Florida marina, scattering victims nearby and sending several to the hospital on the night of December 23. Footage of the boat suddenly blowing apart and catching fire while it refueled has shocked many, leading them to question what exactly happened.
Check out this wild Corvette boat.
An investigation into the incident, which killed one man from Quebec and left six others hospitalized with traumatic injuries which reportedly included burns, is now underway. What’s even more troubling is this isn’t the first time this month such an explosion has taken place, with one other boat blowing up and catching on fire in similar fashion in early December.
🚨#BREAKING: Watch as a Boat explosion and fire occurred at a marina with Several people being thrown and get seriously injured
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) December 24, 2024
📌#FortLauderdale | #Florida
Emergency crews are on the scene after responding to multiple 911 calls reporting a boat explosion and fire at Fort… pic.twitter.com/OY4CpsWN3Y
Seven people were on the boat which exploded on December 23, reports local station WSVN. It’s assumed they were the six individuals who were taken to the hospital and the one who died.
What’s truly sad about this case is if the people on the boat had followed prudent safety protocols, none of them would’ve been caught in the explosion. Not everyone will agree, but many boating safety experts recommend everyone depart from a vessel while it’s being refueled for this precise reason.
When refueling a boat, there’s definitely risk involved as gas can leak out of the vessel’s fuel system, the vapors settling in the hull. All it takes is one small spark to ignite the accumulating fuel vapors, setting of a violent explosion.
It’s also possible someone didn’t use the bilge blower before trying to fire up the engine after finishing refueling. In the footage of the incident, we can’t quite tell if the fuel line is still connected to the vessel.
We don’t know for sure if that’s what happened in this situation, but the fact it happened while the ship was being refueled makes us wonder.
Images via rawsalerts/X
