According to Fort Lauderdale fire officials, a boat explosion on Memorial Day in Florida caused 11 injuries, including two children, and was deemed a “mass casualty incident.”
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the boat exploded or caught fire near the New River Triangle sandbar at approximately 5:45 p.m. EDT, killing 13 individuals who were on board at the Lauderdale Yacht Club in Fort Lauderdale.
The yacht club was on the Intracoastal Waterway when Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue arrived.
According to first responders, one burn sufferer was transported by helicopter to Jackson Memorial-Ryder Trauma Center in Miami, while the other injured, including two children, were taken to Broward General Hospital.
First responders and witnesses reported that multiple individuals were in the water and that others appeared to have sustained burns, but there was no information available regarding the conditions of those hurt.
A local witness reported seeing first responders tending to a man.
“He was moving around and talking, but it seemed like he had severe burns on his arms because they had it wrapped in gauze and everything,” stated Josh McCarty.
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While officials investigate the possible cause of the explosion or fire, other witnesses characterized the boat as a 40-foot speedboat.
“There was this boat trying to leave the sandbar and when they went to start their boat up, it just exploded,” witness Bret Triano stated.
“It was a huge fireball and people were kind of falling off the boat, so we were at the sandbar too, and we just tried to go help out.”
