For many, the long Thanksgiving weekend provides the opportunity for extended families and friends to spend time together. The activities these groups choose to engage in vary widely. Some take advantage of holiday sales and spend the weekend shopping. Others may prefer something more relaxing, like a pleasure cruise on a boat. The Saturday following the holiday, eight people doing just that, were sent to hospitals when an explosion occurred on the boat upon which they were passengers.

The 24-foot Monterey power boat was headed to Long Beach, California, and had just left the launching ramp at the Sunset Aquatic Marina Park when, alerted by a sputtering sound, the boat operator discovered a gas leak located in the engine compartment. To get the gas out of the engine compartment, the operator attempted to turn off the engine and turned a blower on. When the driver did so, the explosion occurred.

The power of the explosion sent four of the passengers into the water and set the boat on fire. One passenger, a male, was reportedly launched through the vessel's windshield. All nine aboard, ages 14 to 60, were rescued from either the burning boat or the water by rescue crews or passing boaters.

Eight of the nine occupants of the boat were injured as a result of the explosion. Thankfully and perhaps miraculously, none of the injuries are life-threatening. No one was burned by the explosion or the resulting fire. They were taken to four area hospitals for treatment.

Both the Orange County Fire Authority and the Orange County Sheriff's Department are investigating the incident.

Source: Fire Engineering, "Passengers in boat blast escaped burns," Nov. 29, 2011