A major boat explosion near Miami’s Haulover Sandbar on Saturday injured at least 11 people, triggering a large-scale emergency response. The incident occurred on a charter boat in Biscayne Bay, a popular boating area. Emergency crews, including the US Coast Guard, responded to the blast.
A massive boat explosion near Miami’s popular Haulover Sandbar left at least 11 people injured on Saturday, triggering a large-scale emergency response and a Level 2 mass casualty alert by rescue officials. The incident occurred around 12:45 pm in Biscayne Bay, one of South Florida’s busiest boating destinations, especially during weekends and holidays.
According to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, more than 25 rescue units, along with the US Coast Guard and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), rushed to the scene after reports of a possible explosion aboard a charter boat carrying several passengers. Authorities transported 11 injured people to nearby hospitals, though officials have not yet confirmed the severity of all injuries.
Eyewitnesses described terrifying scenes moments after the blast. Boat captain Patrick Lee told local media, “When we looked back out, we saw three people flying off the boat in a puff of smoke.” He added that several victims appeared to have suffered severe burns.
Another witness, identified as Leo, claimed the explosion may have happened during the boat’s startup process and suggested a gas leak could have triggered the blast. However, investigators have not officially confirmed the cause.
One victim’s husband said his wife called him screaming, “Help me! Help me! I’m burned! The boat blew up!” Doctors later confirmed she suffered second-degree burns across multiple parts of her body.
Videos and images circulating on social media showed thick smoke rising from the vessel as emergency crews rescued injured passengers from both the boat and surrounding waters. The FWC has launched an investigation into the explosion.
