Memorial Day boat explosion in Florida sends 11 people to the hospital
Two men stand guard in front of the Fort Lauderdale Yacht Club after a boat explosion near the club, Monday, May 26, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Credit: AP/Carline Jean
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A fiery boat explosion near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Memorial Day sent 11 people to the hospital, many suffering from burns, officials said Tuesday.
The 39-foot (12-meter) Sea Ray boat had 15 people on board when the explosion happened at around 6 p.m. on Monday, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which said the cause of the blast is being investigated.
The boat was traveling along the Intracoastal Waterway when the explosion occurred, FWC officials said. Two of the victims are children.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene on the busy holiday weekend.
“When they went to start their boat up, it just exploded,” witness Brett Triano told WPLG-TV. “There was a huge fireball and people were kind of falling off the boat.”
Fatal crash on LIE service road ... 3 men plead guilty to CI murder ... Man charged with stealing cash from cars ... Disappearing hardware stores
Fatal crash on LIE service road ... 3 men plead guilty to CI murder ... Man charged with stealing cash from cars ... Disappearing hardware stores
