DANIA BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - A boat burst into flames at a Dania Beach marina, leaving a man dead and sending four others to the hospital, officials said.
According to Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue, the incident happened near 4470 Ravenswood Road, at around 4:30 p.m. on Friday.
The marina is Nautical Ventures Marina & Service Center, located just west of Interstate 95 and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
“We just heard a loud explosion,” said Cynde Tang, who works nearby, at Island Joe’s Cafe.
“The windows were shaking,” said Danielle Schmergel, who also works nearby, at the Rustic Inn Crabhouse.
“It was pretty intense. It was honestly the loudest thing that I’ve ever heard,” said another woman.
A man said he was riding his bicycle nearby when he heard an explosion, and it almost knocked him off his bike.
BSFR crews responded to the scene and encountered heavy flames and smoke billowing from a parked boat that had just been delivered to the marina.
The 50-foot vessel was on a trailer when it ignited, and officials said it was supposed to be presented in an upcoming boat show.
The dark billowing smoke could be seen from miles away. Cellphone video captured the smoke from the northbound lanes of Interstate 95.
Officials said the boat ignited while it was being refueled.
“It appears that during the refueling process to ready the boat, there was an ignition source, which caused an explosion,” said BSFR Battalion Chief Michael Kane.
A man who works at a different boat yard said fiberglass may be to blame for the blast.
Area resident Russell Kennedy told 7News described what he saw after first responders arrived, as distraught family members showed up wondering whether their loved ones were safe.
“One young lady, unfortunately, I saw her break down, and she had to sit down,” he said. “She was obviously in tears, I mean, not knowing, obviously, maybe even just a simple friend.”
Crews were able to extinguish the blaze and worked to ensure there were no hotspots.
Paramedics pronounced one of the victims dead at the scene.
7Skyforce and cellphone video captured crews placing a patient into an ambulance and leaving the scene.
Crews transported two of the surviving victims to Broward Health Medical Center and the two others to Memorial Regional Hospital to be treated for blast injuries and burns. As of late Friday night, they are listed in critical condition.
A 7News crew encountered several employees who have been trying to enter the marina and have been unable to do so.
Tang and Schmergel described the immediate aftermath.
“There was a police officer in here eating, and when the explosion happened, somebody from the boat yard came across, and they told [the officer], ‘Listen, we need your help really bad. It’s urgent,'” said Tang.
“We saw people running — I don’t know if they were co-workers or associates — and they came running, and unfortunately, we saw by their faces and the reaction that it wasn’t good. It’s incredible, actually,” said Schmergel.
Authorities shut down Anglers Avenue at 42nd Street, right outside the marina, for hours while they investigated.
Law enforcement and the state fire marshal are investigating the incident.
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