wistv.com - Columbia, South Carolina |Several hurt when boat explodes at SC marina

Several hurt when boat explodes at SC marina

Posted: Updated:
A boat tries to extinguish fire on the boat that exploded. (Source: WBTV) A boat tries to extinguish fire on the boat that exploded. (Source: WBTV)
Twitter image of smoke from the scene by Twitter user Spiralgypsy. Twitter image of smoke from the scene by Twitter user Spiralgypsy.

TEGA CAY, SC (WBTV) - Five members of a family and a family friend were injured after a 31-foot cabin cruiser caught fire and exploded at a marina on Lake Wylie Wednesday afternoon.

The incident happened around 1:45 p.m. at the Tega Cay Marina just after the boat was refueled with gasoline.

1st Sgt. Todd Campbell with the SC Dept. of Natural Resources says six people were on the boat at the time -- a mother, father, three sons, and a female friend of one of the sons.

Emergency Management officials confirmed that two people, a man and a child were taken to Carolinas Medical Center and then to the burn center in Chapel Hill. 

The others were taken to CMC main.

Campbell says the female friend was not badly hurt.

The mother of the family rode in an ambulance with her family.  Two of the patients were airlifted to CMC.

Emergency Management officials said someone on the boat had just finished filling the vessel with fuel and was leaving the dock area. A witness said it is possible an adult man on the boat started the ignition when the boat blew up.

Authorities are investigating to see if the explosion happened because the engine was started without allowing enough time for the gas vapors to adequately vent from in and around the engine compartment after the boat was refueled.

A fire department boat attempted to extinguish the blaze. Crews reportedly moved the boat away from the marina while it was on fire.

Around 2:15 p.m., the boat capsized. Fuel from the boat then got into the water and floated to the surface and caught fire -- causing a large ball of flames just a few feet from the capsized boat.

The fuel on the water eventually burned out and the boat sunk.  Seven other boats were damaged during the explosion -- four of them are described as a "total loss."

A woman who lives close to the marina said her house shook from the force of the explosion.

A man at the marina told WBTV Reporter Sharon Smith that he helped pull people out of the water. "They were hollering and screaming, 'Get us out, get us out!'" Richard Mason said.

Mason said several people threw out life jackets and got members of the family to shore.

Both the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control and York County Emergency Management are trying to determine if there is any environmental impact from the fuel which leaked into the water.

Sgt. Campbell says authorities plan to raise the boat from the bottom of the lake either on Thursday or Friday.

They hope it will yield more clues as to exactly why it exploded.

Copyright 2011 WBTV. All rights reserved.