Eleven Injured as Sea Ray Boat Explodes in Broward Florida

Eleven boaters including two kids were injured as an eleven meter Sea Ray sport cruiser exploded near the New River Triangle, not far from Lauderdale Yacht Club on Southeast 12th Court, Broward County, Florida at about 17:45 of Monday 26 May.  Nearby boats assisted the boaters first, with some of them tossed in the water with the explosion, as Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue responded to the explosion and subsequent fire, and were later assisted by Fort Lauderdale Police, U.S. Coast Guard, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and Broward Sheriff’s Office.  Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue and the assisting departments controlled the fire as the eleven injured boaters were first taken to Broward Health Medical Center, and then moved to Jackson Memorial Hospital, with one patient being intubated.  Thirteen boaters and a dog were on the Sea Ray when it exploded with two boaters and the dog escaping uninjured, and an investigation ongoing of how this happened.  According to reports the Sea Ray cruiser exploded on ignition of the engine. 

The Sea Ray in this explosion is a 390 Express Cruiser as produced from 1984 to 1991.  The 390 Express Cruiser came as a replacement to the SRV 360 Vanguard Express, and was replaced by the Sea Ray 400 Express Cruiser.