11 hurt in pleasure boat explosion in Tampa Bay
TAMPA — Six people were seriously injured Saturday in a pleasure boat explosion in Tampa Bay, authorities said.
The 33-foot, twin-engine Sea Ray exploded and burned to the waterline Saturday afternoon while anchored in 3 feet of water off of what’s known as Beer Can Island, according to Gary Morse of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
He said 14 people in an extended family departed at 10:30 a.m. from Apollo Beach, for the island, which Morse said is a popular place for boaters to anchor.
“Six children were forward watching a movie, five adults were in the aft portion of the vessel and three others were wading 30 feet from the boat when there was an explosion in the rear portion of the vessel,” Morse said.
The cause of the explosion is under investigation. Morse said the boat’s twin engines were not operating at the time, although a gasoline generator was.
