MIAMI, Fla. (CBS12) — Witnesses say a boat exploded near the Haulover Sandbar after the captain allegedly started the engine without opening the hatches, injuring 11 people.
As previously reported, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded to the explosion around 12:48 p.m. on Saturday and upgraded the incident to a Level 2 Mass Casualty Incident due to the number of injuries.
Witness Patrick Lee told CBS News Miami he saw “three people fly out of the boat” after the explosion.
Lee, a boat charter captain, said he believed the blast may have been caused by gasoline fumes igniting after the boat’s engine was started.
See also: Boat explosion at Miami sandbar triggers mass casualty response, 11 hospitalized
“People got on board, and he turned the key and didn’t open the hatches, didn’t turn on the blowers, and he blew people out of the boat,” Lee said.
Witnesses said emergency crews surrounded the vessel within minutes as injured passengers, many suffering from burns, were carried away on stretchers.
“I just saw a lot of them were burns all over them,” Lee said. “It is quick. But it’s high octane gasoline.”
More than 25 units responded to the scene, including Fireboat 21, Ocean Rescue crews, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the United States Coast Guard.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Juan Arias urged boaters to prioritize safety as South Florida’s boating season ramps up:
“This time of year we have a lot of boats on the water, so it’s always good to make sure you have a radio with you, life vests, fire extinguishers … and also an experienced boater with you on the boat.”
Witnesses identified the boat being towed from the scene as “Nauti Nabors,” with markings indicating it originated from Sherman, Texas.
Officials have not released the conditions of the victims, and the cause of the explosion remains under investigation.