One Man Severely Injured in Riviera Boat Explosion

One man was seriously injured as a thirteen meter sports cruiser exploded during refueling at Akuna Bay Marina, General San Martin Drive, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Australia on 15:45 of Wednesday nineteen April 2023.  According to reports the boat exploded from fuel overflowing which made contact with the generator, and throwing the fuel operator into the water, and then started a fire onboard the sport cruiser.  The fuel operators assisted the man first, freed the boat from the fueling dock, and then called emergency services. Five NSW Ambulance crews responded to the scene, with a NSW Toll Ambulance Rescue Helicopter also coming just before 16:40 hours, along with NSW Rural Fire Service, bringing among other equipment  hazmat to contain hazardous material spills.  Meanwhile, medical crews were tending to the seriously injured worker, who had received burns to approximately 35 percent of his body, including face, arms, torso and legs who was first treated on the scene and then taken by air to Royal North Shore Hospital in a serious but stable condition just before 17.30 hours.  Ultimately the boat will burn to the water line and was directed to shallow water in order to facilitate clean up operations later on.

The boat in this fire is a Riviera M430 Sport Cruiser as produced from the fall of 2000 till 2007 in 145 units.  The M430 came out as a replacement to the Diavolo 44, with Riviera going out of the open sport cruiser segment in 2007.  The Riviera M430 Sport Cruiser was also sold as the Wellcraft 45 Excalibur in the USA.