Lake Lanier boat fire: What caused the boat to explode
The incident happened around 7 PM Friday evening, just off Lanier Islands Parkway, according to Hall County Fire Rescue and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
Why did the boat explode?
The boat, a 23-foot cabin cruiser, was being towed near Margaritaville when the explosion occurred. The cause of the blast remains unclear, and investigators are now working to determine what went wrong.
Officials say flames were shooting five feet into the air when first responders arrived. Fortunately, a Hall County Marine Unit was nearby and witnessed the explosion firsthand, allowing them to reach the scene within minutes. Someone on the boat also quickly called 911 for help.
'The operator towing the boat rescued all seven people and took them to waiting paramedics at Margaritaville,' DNR officials said. Five of the injured were taken to area hospitals, including a child who was airlifted due to the severity of their injuries. The remaining two were treated at the scene.
'Upon arrival, the HCFR rescue boat crew discovered a boat with five foot flames and 5 patients in need of care,' Kimberlie Ledsinger of Hall County Fire Rescue said, per WDUN.
Fire officials said everyone injured was in stable condition when they left the area. The victims ranged in age from 5 to 45 and suffered second and third-degree burns.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
3 people still missing from deadly July 4 floods in Texas county, down from nearly 100
Officials in a Texas hill country community pummelled by deadly flooding on July 4 said Saturday that just three people remain missing, down from nearly 100, after people who had previously been reported missing have since been accounted for. The reduction in the number of people on the missing list came as the search for victims entered its third week. It is a significant drop from the more than 160 people officials previously said were unaccounted for in Kerr County alone. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category MBA Data Science Public Policy Data Science PGDM Cybersecurity MCA Management Operations Management Others Finance healthcare CXO Leadership Digital Marketing Design Thinking Technology Degree Artificial Intelligence Data Analytics others Healthcare Project Management Product Management Skills you'll gain: Analytical Skills Financial Literacy Leadership and Management Skills Strategic Thinking Duration: 24 Months Vellore Institute of Technology VIT Online MBA Starts on Aug 14, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Financial Management Team Leadership & Collaboration Financial Reporting & Analysis Advocacy Strategies for Leadership Duration: 18 Months UMass Global Master of Business Administration (MBA) Starts on May 13, 2024 Get Details The death toll in Kerr County, 107, held steady for much of this week even as the intensive search continued. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Binh Hung: Unsold Furniture Liquidation 2024 (Prices May Surprise You) Unsold Furniture | Search Ads Learn More Undo Flash floods killed at least 135 people in Texas over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, with most deaths along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) northwest of San Antonio. The floods laid waste to the Hill Country, which is naturally prone to flash flooding because its dry, dirt-packed soil cannot soak up heavy rain. Vacation cabins, youth camps campgrounds fill the riverbanks and hills of Kerr County, and Camp Mystic, a century-old Christian summer camp for girls in a low-lying area along the Guadalupe. At least 27 of its campers and counsellors died. Live Events In Kerrville, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of Austin, local officials have come under scrutiny over whether residents were adequately warned about the rising water July 4. "This remarkable progress reflects countless hours of coordinated search and rescue operations, careful investigative work, and an unwavering commitment to bringing clarity and hope to families during an unimaginably difficult time," Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice in a statement Saturday night. (AP)
Hindustan Times
09-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
Who is Katherine Ferruzzo? Camp Mystic counselor remains missing after devastating Texas flood
Katherine Ferruzzo, a counsellor at Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, remains missing after a deadly flood swept through the region on the Fourth of July weekend. A search and rescue team looks for people along the Guadalupe River near Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, on July 7, 2025, following severe flash flooding that occurred during the July 4 holiday weekend. (Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP)(AFP) Ferruzzo was at Camp Mystic with several other students from Spring Branch ISD, including Wilchester Elementary student Molly DeWitt, who was also still missing as of Tuesday. Over the weekend, DeWitt's school held a tribute in her honour, tying green ribbons around trees on campus, per Houston Chronicle. 'It is with immeasurable sadness that we share the tragic Texas Hill Country floods in recent days have deeply impacted several of our Spring Branch ISD families as their children have been confirmed to have passed away or remain missing,' the district said. ALSO READ| Did Cindy Steinberg call Camp Mystic missing girls 'future fascists'? Fact-checking Grok's claim 'Your outpouring of love and support has been a source of strength and compassion and reflects the deep caring nature of our community.' Who is Katherine Ferruzzo? Ferruzzo, a Memorial High School graduate, helped to organise the first-ever Unity Game at the school, a unique event that provided disabled students with an opportunity to play football, cheer on the sidelines, and march in the band together with the rest of the students. By the time she was a junior, Ferruzzo had already volunteered with multiple Houston-area organizations focused on helping children and people with special needs. Her service included time with Gigi's Playhouse, Miracle League, Camp Acorn, and Camp Briarwood. She then pursued a degree in early childhood education at the University of Texas at Austin, where she had enrolled as an incoming freshman. Sadly, she's the only counselor still unaccounted for after flash floods ripped through Kerr County during the early morning hours of Independence Day, killing at least 87 people and leaving many more missing. 'Katherine has a fierce and loving spirit, and we have no doubt she did all she could to save the lives of the girls in her cabin,' her family said in a statement, per the Houston Chronicle. ALSO READ| Texas floods: Camp Mystic girls seen in video happily camping, posing for pics hours before tragedy Notably, another counselor, Chloe Childress, died in the flood while reportedly helping others to safety. 'The counselors were heroes and saved so many lives putting their campers before their own,' Camp Mystic program director Elizabeth Sweet said. Ferruzzo was active in the student council and a member of the National Charity League. She also worked as a teacher aide in Spring Branch ISD elementary schools, supporting students with special needs through the 'Grow Your Own' Future Teacher Scholarship Program.
Time of India
07-07-2025
- Time of India
Meet Scott Ruskan: The Coast Guard hero who saved 165 lives during the Texas floods
Scott Ruskan , a rescue swimmer with the US Coast Guard, is now being called an " American hero " as he saved 165 people affected by the flash floods in Texas during his first mission over the Fourth of July weekend, as reported by Newsweek. Scott Ruskan Hailed as Hero After Saving 165 in Texas Floods Ruskan is based out of New Jersey and previously worked at KPMG as an accountant, but later he enlisted in the US Coast Guard in 2021, according to the report. Once he completed rescue swimmer training, he was stationed in Corpus Christi, Texas, as per Newsweek. The 26-year-old told The New York Post in an interview that, "I'm mostly just a dude. I'm just doing a job. This is what I signed up for, and I think that any single Coast Guard rescue swimmer or any single Coast Guard pilot, flight mechanic, whoever it may be, would have done the exact same thing in our situation," as quoted by Newsweek. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Apotheker packt aus: 7-Minuten Trick bei Nagelpilz Heilratgeber Weiterlesen Undo The rescue swimmer was in charge of triage at Camp Mystic, which is a summer camp where there were 700 girls at the time the flash flood had hit the Guadalupe River, as reported by Newsweek. ALSO READ: AI stocks could crash like Dot-Coms, says Wall Street veteran — suggests these safer bets instead Live Events Multi-Agency Teamwork Behind the Rescue Ruskan's mission needed extensive cooperation between the Coast Guard, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Air National Guard, and Texas Task Force 1, a FEMA urban search and rescue task force, as reported by Newsweek. The search and rescue technician with Texas Task Force 1 had called the Coast Guard for help for an emergency rapid response, as per the report. He explained that, "That's a little bit outside our area of operation normally, but people were in danger, and we're a good asset to try and help people out, and these guys were asking for help, so that's kind of what we do," as quoted by Newsweek. Ruskan helped to lead the rescue mission that brought 165 people to safety and said that, "So we basically got the majority of the people out of Camp Mystic, which is awesome. And I feel like we did a lot of good that day, but obviously it's still super sad," and also added that, "There's still a lot of people missing and unaccounted for, so the mission's not over yet. It's not over for us," as quoted in the report. ALSO READ: Trump's tariff drama is fake and just for TV, says White House source in bombshell leak Praise From Homeland Security Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem praised Ruskan's efforts on a social media X post, saying, "United States Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer and Petty Officer Scott Ruskin, directly saved an astonishing 165 victims in the devastating flooding in central Texas. This was the first rescue mission of his career and he was the only triage coordinator at the scene. Scott Ruskin is an American hero," as quoted by Newsweek. Flash Floods Hit Hard Over Holiday Weekend Flash floods had been going on across central Texas during the Fourth of July weekend and are expected to last up until at least Monday morning, as the Guadalupe River rose over 20 to 26 feet within 90 minutes, which led to widespread devastation and forced evacuations, according to the Newsweek report. ALSO READ: Xi Jinping losing his grip? Signs emerge of chaos in China's military and political circles FAQs Who is Scott Ruskan? He is a 26-year-old US Coast Guard rescue swimmer who helped save 165 people in his very first mission, as reported by Newsweek. What was Ruskan's role in the rescue? He was in charge of triage and helped coordinate the evacuation of people from a flooded summer camp.
