A boat exploded at a sandbar in Fort Lauderdale’s Intracoastal Waterway on Memorial Day, severely injuring nine adults and two children, officials said Monday night.
The explosion happened at about 5:45 p.m., May 26, at a sandbar off the Lauderdale Yacht Club at 1725 SE 12th St., just south of where the New River and the Intracoastal meet, according to Frank Guzman, public information officer for Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue.
The area is popular because the shallow water at the sandbar allows boaters to anchor their vessels at low tide and wade into the water. Low tide Monday came at about 3:30 p.m. in the Intracoastal.
The explosion threw everybody on the boat into the water. Nearby boaters helped rescue victims until first responders arrived, Guzman said.
All 11 people were taken from the scene to Broward Health Medical Center, and were being transported by ambulance to the Miami Burn Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami on Monday evening.
Guzman could not provide the size or type of boat that exploded, but said the incident was under investigation by the Fort Lauderdale Police, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
This is a developing story. Check back later for more information. Sign up for breaking news emails here.