Quebec man dies in boat explosion in Fort Lauderdale captured on video
FORT LAUDERDALE - The 37-foot boat that exploded and caused another vessel to go up in flames, killing a Quebec man and injuring six others, was ignited when an engine started, the lead investigating agency said Tuesday.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission said six people were hospitalized and the body of Sebastien Gauthier, 41, was found in the water. On Monday night, Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue said five patients were taken to hospitals with three trauma injuries.
Crews removed one boat from the scene and the other one remains underwater.
FWC said the investigation is open.
Deputy city fire chief Garrett Pingol told CBS News Miami: "We do believe the boat boat was at the fuel docks near the fuel pumps. We are still determining, was was it actually fueling. That is unknown."
The surviving victims have not been identified.
Dramatic video captured the moments when two boats went up in flames at the Lauderdale Marina on Monday night.
The top half of one boat exploded after its engines started. It flew into the air before crashing back down in video obtained from EarthCam, which provides live streaming video, time-lapse construction cameras and reality capture solutions for corporate and government clients.
The boat was near the fuel pumps 1900 Southwest 15th Street behind the 15th Street Fisheries when it happened.
A second nearby boat also caught fire.
New video from a camera mounted on a Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue camera mounted on a captain's helmet shows the dramatic moments as they arrive as the flames engulf the boats.
Maria Sanz told CBS News Miami on Tuesday: "I was trying to help that guy who was drowning. I was panicking for him because he was going further and further from the dock."
"I was sitting on the balcony and all of a sudden smoke comes across," Janet Lamp told CBS Miami on Tuesday.
Witnesses on Monday described what they saw:
"I saw the top half of the boat fly up probably 10 feet and come right back down," Tamer Dimiati, who works at 15th Street Fisheries, said. "I did see a guy that was still on the boat while it was on fire and the fire was getting bigger and he was stumbling while he was trying to get off. He was bleeding from his mouth and arm."
"It was kind of just a big explosion, I felt the vibration through my body," Nate Hill told CBS News Miami on Monday night.
According to Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue, they received multiple 911 calls about the fire shortly before 6 p.m.
After an extensive search of the waters near where the fires occurred, a dive team from the Broward Sheriff's Office located the body of the missing person.
Multiple agencies are coordinating their efforts including Fort Lauderdale Police Department, BSO, FWC and the U.S. Coast Guard.