On Monday evening, a small passenger vessel exploded and burned alongside the pier in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, killing one and injuring five.
Just before 1800 hours, a blast rocked the quay at Lauderdale Marina, a dealership and fuel dock just north of Port Everglades. A 37-foot boat exploded violently when its engines fired up, startling passersby. Security camera video footage showed that the boat's main deck separated from the hull due to the force of the explosion.
"It was like a boom, kind of, and I turned around and the whole dock was already on fire," one witness told local station WSVN.
The explosion killed one passenger, identified as Quebec resident Sebastien Gauthier, 40. Gauthier went into the water in the blast, and his body was recovered by a dive team later in the evening.
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— Shah Faisal AfRidi (@Sfaisalafridi) December 24, 2024
Yesterday’s boat explosion at Lauderdale Marina left one person dead and five hospitalized, three with severe injuries. The incident happened at a fuel station, quickly spreading to nearby boats and setting the dock ablaze.
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The other five passengers of the boat survived the blast and were evacuated to Broward Health Medical Center for treatment, including three people with serious trauma injuries. The boat continued to burn and ignited a second vessel located nearby; both fires were extinguished, and the vessels will be hoisted out of the water for forensic examination.
An investigation into the cause of the explosion is under way, led by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. It is the second time this month that a boat has exploded at the Lauderdale Marina: the previous blast occurred during fueling, and one person was evacuated for treatment for burns.
