Fiery Boat Explosion Near Fort Lauderdale Hospitalizes 11 on Memorial Day

The explosion occurred around 5:45 p.m. on Monday after a boat carrying 13 people erupted in flames.

Published: 5/27/2025, 3:01:14 PM EDT

Fiery Boat Explosion Near Fort Lauderdale Hospitalizes 11 on Memorial Day — Two men stand guard in front of the Fort Lauderdale Yacht Club after a boat explosion near the club, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on May 26, 2025. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP)

A boat explosion along the Intracoastal Waterway near Fort Lauderdale sent 11 people to the hospital on Memorial Day, with several suffering serious burns, according to local authorities.

The explosion occurred around 5:45 p.m. on Monday after a boat carrying 13 people erupted in flames, the Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue told NTD News in an emailed statement.

Spokesperson Frank Guzman said the explosion sent some people into the water. The explosion occurred near a sandbar, a common place for boaters to gather. Nearby boaters immediately came to their aid.

Of those on board, 11 sustained injuries, including burns, and were sent to the trauma center at Broward Health Medical Center. Two of those involved were children who suffered “extensive burn injuries,” Guzman said. Ten of the injured were transferred to a specialized burn unit at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, he said. The 11th was discharged from the hospital late Monday night.

The explosion took place as the boat was traveling near the New River Triangle, a busy area on the holiday weekend, according to the U.S. Coast Guard Southeast in a post on X.

Witnesses described the scene as the explosion rocked the waterway. "When they went to start their boat up, it just exploded," said Brett Triano, who was nearby at the time, told WPLG-TV. "There was a huge fireball and people were kinda falling off the boat." Triano added that he and others rushed over in a dinghy to help pull victims from the water as bystanders called 911.

Antonio Rivera, one of the burn victims, said he suspects a fuel leak may have triggered the explosion. "We tried to fuel up the boat and it must've been a gas leak and a spark went off and an explosion," Rivera told CBS News. "My wife and my kids, they'll be okay—there's nothing permanent—but they did get third-degree burns."

The U.S. Coast Guard, Broward Sheriff’s Office, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), and Fort Lauderdale Police all responded to the scene, rescuing and transferring the injured to emergency medical services, according to the Coast Guard. Salvage operations for the boat are being arranged, and the FWC is leading the ongoing investigation into the cause of the explosion.

Eyewitness accounts from social media offered further insight into the moments before the blast. One user commented on the Coast Guard’s post, stating: "I drove past this boat 10 minutes before. It was floating from near the 15th St Fisheries and I had to drive around it. It wasn’t in gear and the engines were being revved. The engine didnt sound good and there was some black smoke coming from exhaust."

Separate Memorial Day Tragedy in Ohio Parade

In a separate Memorial Day incident, a 13-year-old boy from North Canton, Ohio, died after falling from a parade trailer and being struck by its tires during the City of Green’s Memorial Day parade, according to the Summit County Sheriff’s Office and Green Fire Department.

The accident happened just after 11:20 a.m. Monday, as Matthew Schultz was riding on a dual-axle car hauler sponsored by Air Ninja Gym. Seven children and two adults were on the trailer, which was being pulled at or below 5 mph by a Ford F-150 pickup, officials said.

Green Fire and EMS, who were participating in the parade, witnessed the accident and responded immediately, transporting Schultz to Akron Children’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The Summit Metro Crash Team is assisting with the ongoing investigation, and Massillon Road was closed for two hours as authorities processed the scene.