HALL COUNTY (Georgia, US), July 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A boat explosion on Lake Lanier in Georgia state sent several people to the hospital on the Fourth of July, according to officials.
Hall County Fire Rescue said it responded to Lanier Islands Parkway around 7 p.m. Friday after receiving reports of a boat explosion. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources said a 23-foot cabin cruiser was being towed in Landshark Cove near Margaritaville when the explosion happened.
Fire officials initially said five people were injured. However, in an update, the Georgia DNR stated that seven people were hurt.
“The operator towing the boat rescued all seven people and took them to waiting paramedics at Margaritaville,” DNR officials said.
Video shows flames and smoke billowing into the air.
When Hall County fire crews arrived, they found the boat with flames about 5 feet high. Crews worked quickly with their response.
Hall County officials said five people were taken to hospitals, including a pediatric patient who had to be airlifted. The other two people were treated at the scene.
“All patients were in stable condition when they left the scene,” Hall County fire officials added.
DNR said everyone injured ranged in age from 5 to 45 years old; they had second and third-degree burns.
A Hall County Marine Unit saw the explosion and was able to be on site within minutes. A person on the boat also called 911 for help.
Fire crews were able to extinguish the fire using a portable pump. Gainesville Fire’s Marine Rescue boat also assisted at the scene.
Fire officials said the cause of the explosion is unknown. It’s under investigation by the Hall County Fire Marshal’s Office.
The Lake Lanier incident wasn’t the only explosion on the water this Fourth of July. Georgia DNR said there was an incident on Lake Nottely earlier in the day. Officials said a vessel that had just gotten fuel at the Cozy Cove Marina and it idled away from the marina. In the “no wake” zone, the engine cut off. When the boat was cranked again, officials said there was an explosion. Seven people were injured in that incident as well. The vessel burned to the waterline and sank at the shoreline, officials added.
And in south Georgia, there was a boat explosion an incident, DNR officials said, on the Altamaha River. No injuries were reported at that scene. — NNN-AGENCIES
