By Devoun Cetoute and Milena Malaver
Miami Herald
MIAMI — Patrick Lee, a seasoned South Florida boat captain, was manning his Tiki boat shuttling people to a vessel on the waters near the Haulover Sandbar near Bal Harbour on Saturday afternoon, when he suddenly saw a throng of people blasted off a nearby, 40-foot boat.
“When we looked back out, we saw three people flying off the boat in a puff of smoke,” he said, noting some of the injured people had burns all over them.
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The possible explosion around 12:50 p.m. at the sandbar sent 11 people to the hospital and had Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission working what fire crews dubbed a “mass casualty incident.”
Over 25 Miami-Dade fire crews aided in rescuing the injured, finding some of the 11 in the water. The agency initially reported there were 15 patients but retracted that figure. Some of the injured were burned and suffered traumatic injuries.
Authorities could not confirm if an explosion occurred. The boat was docked near the Haulover Marine Center a few hours after the explosion. It is a Press Cruiser 400 Express, a 40-foot cabin cruiser called Nauti Nabors from Sherman, Texas. According to U.S. Coast Guard databases, the vessel is certified for recreational use.
Initially, a single fire rescue boat crew rushed to respond to a burn injury near the Haulover Sandbar — they quickly realized the scope of the tragedy and radioed for back-up, according to dispatch audio on Broadcastify.com. Dozens of crews, including high-ranking firefighters, descended on Haulover Park within the hour.
Burn victims were found, some were in the water. Crews rescued them into lifeboats and sped to the nearby fuel docks to be taken to the hospital.
When a dispatcher tried to pinpoint how many patients were injured, a firefighter responded, “They keep coming. ... We just aren’t sure right now.”
Some of the patients were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center, which houses the Miami Burn Center, according to the audio. At least one pediatric patient was among the injured. One adult had more than 30% of his body burned, and a child had more than 18%.
Leo, who declined to give his last name and was not injured, was on board the boat when he said it exploded.
“It was the worst experience of my life,” Leo said as he sat down under the shade of a tree near the Haulover Marine Center.
He said a gas leak caused the explosion.
Fire crews on dispatch audio logs said the explosion possibly came from the boat’s fuel tank. The captain of the vessel was unharmed.
Lee, the Tiki boat captain, theorized that the exhaust fans were not turned on, causing gas fumes to be trapped on board. When the boat was clicked on, it sparked an explosion, he speculated. Lee made this claim based on what he witnessed and his more than 50 years of boating experience.
“(The captain’s) people got on board, he turned the key, didn’t open the hatches, and didn’t turn on the blowers — he blew people out of the boat,” he said.
Fire rescue issued a reminder to the public hours after the possible explosion to “prioritize safety while out on the water.”
“Make sure your vessel is equipped with a working fire extinguisher and all required safety equipment,” fire rescue said. “Before departure, perform a thorough safety check to ensure your boat is in good working condition and free of potential hazards. Taking a few extra precautions can help prevent emergencies and keep everyone safe.”
Lee was saddened at how preventable the tragedy was, if it indeed was a gas-related explosion.
“That’s the worst thing, preventable,” he said. “I find most tragedies are from a lack of education. Many people out here shouldn’t be operating boats.”
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