HOLLYWOOD, FLA. (WSVN) - Rescue crews airlifted a Hollywood man to the hospital with severe burns after, officials said, he was injured when the boat he was working on exploded, leaving neighbors rattled.
Hollywood Police and Fire Rescue units responded to the scene of the blast along the 5600 block of Cleveland Street, just before 4:15 p.m., Saturday.
Investigators said the victim was working on the vessel in his backyard when something went wrong, and it exploded.
An area resident who asked not to be identified or show his face on camera said he was rocked by a loud boom.
“It knocked me off my sleep, like, I was sleeping, deep sleep. I woke up to some earthquake-type stuff, like the walls shake, the whole doors are shaking,” he said. “I come outside here, people are screaming, ‘Call 911! Call 911!'”
Cellphone video recorded by neighbors showed flames and thick plumes of dark smoke billowing up into the air.
Moments later, the area resident said, he spotted the victim engulfed by flames as neighbors rushed to his aid.
“Took him out of there. He was all burnt up, like, you see his skin out. His face was – he was all bloody from one side of the face,” he said. “His legs, the skin was just nasty. It was brutal. He went to the hospital straight after when the ambulance came and all.”
Paramedics transported the victim as a trauma alert to Memorial Regional Hospital, and from there he was airlifted to Jackson Health’s burn center for treatment to his burns. His condition is unknown.
Back at the scene, 7News cameras captured investigators cordoning off the damaged boat with yellow tape.
His neighbors, meanwhile, are praying for a speedy recovery.
“I hope he recovers real fast and, I mean, next time you’ve got to know what you’re doing, you know?” said the area resident. “Sometimes, it could have been your last time right there.”
Fire inspectors remained at the scene for hours, as they attempt to determine what caused the blaze.
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