FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - One person was killed and five others were hospitalized after two boats caught fire at a Fort Lauderdale marina, authorities said.
Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue responded to the incident at the Lauderdale Marina, located at 1900 SE 15th Street, just before 6 p.m. Monday.
Deputy Fire Chief Garret Pingol said crews received multiple calls about an explosion and a boat on fire.
“A boat explodes. There’s a boat on fire and there were people on the water,” Pingol said.
Witnesses provided 7News with videos showing massive flames and the chaos that followed. The fire spread to a second vessel, leaving multiple people injured.
Five victims were taken to local hospitals, including three with traumatic injuries who were transported to Broward Health Medical Center. The conditions of the victims were not immediately available.
Video from EarthCam appeared to show a sixth person falling into the water during the fire, prompting an extensive search effort.
“In conjunction with Broward Sheriff’s Office law enforcement, multiple dive teams are in the water and are searching multiple potential areas where the person might be missing,” Pingol said. “We were able to access video from the boat dock, find some last-seen points and make our best effort to conduct a dive operation.”
Later Monday night, officials said dive teams found a body in the water. FWC later identified the man as Sebastien Gauthier.
Witnesses described the explosion as shocking and chaotic.
“It was like a boom, kind of, and I turned around and the whole dock was already on fire,” a witness said. “It was engulfed in flames.”
“I heard it, obviously! It was loud, man. It was crazy!” another witness said.
Maria Sans, who was on a boat near the one that exploded, said she had to evacuate with her family.
“I was screaming, screaming and then they told us we have to get out right away. I was trying to focus to see where my family was,” Sans said.
Tamer Dimiati, a waiter at a nearby restaurant, said he rushed to help.
“I was actually taking an order as soon as the boat exploded,” Dimiati said. “All I saw was the boat just explode and the top of the boat went up and it came back down and the boat went into flames. I ran out there to try to see if anybody needed help. One guy was on fire, another person was in the water, I mean it was like chaos.”
The dock, which serves as a refueling station, was the site of a similar fire earlier this month.
Officials said the fire has been extinguished, and an investigation into its cause is underway.
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