A man was hospitalized after leaping from a boat that exploded into flames in Fort Lauderdale Wednesday morning, officials say, the second boat explosion in the city this week.
Just before 9:30 a.m., Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue received multiple 911 calls about a boat explosion and fire just north of the Port Everglades cut on the south end of Fort Lauderdale beach, according to Frank Guzman, a spokesperson for the agency.
There was one man on board the 30-foot boat, Guzman said. After the explosion, he jumped into the water and swam to shore with burn injuries. Paramedics took him to Broward Health Medical Center, where his condition is serious but not life-threatening.
Fireboats from Fort Lauderdale and Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue arrived to put out the boat fire, which took about 30 to 40 minutes to extinguish, Guzman said. The cause remains unknown. The fire investigator had just arrived on scene late Wednesday morning.
Wednesday’s explosion comes only two days after a boat explosion and fire on Memorial Day that severely injured 11 people. That explosion was caused by fuel vapors igniting, Guzman said, though officials still do not know what caused them to ignite.
Fort Lauderdale has now had four boat explosions in about six months, Guzman said, which is above average for the timeframe; the city typically sees four to six boat explosions in a year.
Two other boat explosions in December were also caused by fuel vapors igniting. On Dec. 23, one person was killed and six people were injured after an explosion at the Lauderdale Marina.
“This serves as an important reminder to all boaters to check their equipment,” Guzman said.
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