A failure to activate a safety device before starting the engine triggered a flash explosion inside the hull, authorities say
HALL COUNTY, Ga. — Five people were injured May 16 after a boat explosion on Lake Lanier, according to Georgia Department of Natural Resources game wardens.
Game wardens assigned to Lake Lanier were notified by Georgia State Patrol dispatch just before 8 p.m. about a boat fire with injuries in Land Shark Cove. When officers arrived, paramedics were already on scene treating several victims for injuries authorities described as non-life-threatening.
Investigators determined through interviews with the boat owner, victims, and witnesses that the vessel’s hull blower had not been activated before the engine was started. That failure allowed fuel vapors to accumulate inside the hull, triggering a flash explosion. One person was thrown into the water by the blast and was pulled to safety by witnesses nearby.
All five injured were transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville for additional treatment.
The incident remains under investigation.
