Flames erupted from two boats, one on Lake Lanier and another on Lake Nottely, during the Fourth of July holiday, officials said.
It was around 7 p.m. when Hall County firefighters were called to Lanier Islands Parkway off McEver Road near Margaritaville at Lanier Islands. Crews discovered 5-foot flames engulfing the boat, according to fire department spokesperson Kimberlie Ledsinger.
Seven people, ranging in age from 5 to 45 years old, suffered second- and third-degree burns, Georgia Department of Natural Resources spokesperson Mark McKinnon said.
Some victims were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, while others were transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville.
The 23-foot cabin cruiser exploded and caught fire while being towed on Landshark Cove near Margaritaville, McKinnon said. The operator of the boat towing the cabin cruiser rescued all seven people and took them to awaiting paramedics, officials added.
The fire was extinguished using a portable pump with assistance from Gainesville Fire’s Marine Rescue boat. The cause of the explosion is under investigation.
In the second boat explosion, McKinnon said seven people suffered varying degrees of burns on Lake Nottely in Union County, located just south of the North Carolina border.
The boat had just gotten fuel at Cozy Cove Marina and had idled away from the marina. While still in the no-wake zone, McKinnon said the engine suddenly cut off and when those on the boat tried to re-crank it, the watercraft exploded.
The vessel burned and then sank at the shoreline.
— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.
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