Man Injured In Pompano Beach Boat Explosion

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FT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) - A man was severely burned in a boat explosion early Monday morning in Pompano Beach.

The explosion and fire, aboard the "Sub-BOAT-Ah." occurred around 2:15 a.m. near the Hillsboro Inlet.

Investigators say 32-year old Lukas Correa, who was on the 30-foot cruiser when it went up in flames, showed up at Broward Health North with burns. From there he was airlifted to the burn unit at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

Joseph Settembrino was loading up his boat to go fishing when he heard an explosion.

"In the morning, you don't expect to hear a boom that loud. I saw the flames immediately from all the way across the street. I jumped in my boat and came over here," said Settembrino. "The boat was a mass of flames shooting 50 feet in the air. And I couldn't get any closer than 100, 150 feet from it, it was just too hot."

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Correa said anyone else who may have been on the boat was gone.

"There was a call for help, a scream, that's when I hurried up and loaded my boat to see what I could do to help out. When I got here, no one was here," said Settembrino.

When firefighters arrived they found the boat they found it fully engulfed in flames. There was no one on board and divers didn't find anyone in the surrounding waters.

Settenbrino said he's just glad Correa lived.

"When I heard it happen, I said if there's anybody near this boat there's no way they'd survive it. It was just so intense. Literally I thought they blew up the bridge and the bridge was coming down," said Settenbrino.

Pompano Beach Fire Rescue said the boat was not supposed to be docked there overnight. Where it was found is a launching ramp.

The U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection assisted in the initial search.

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