Injuries reported in boat fire at Lake Mead

By Jean Reid Norman

Published Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009 | 6:30 p.m.

Updated Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009 | 9:37 p.m.

Three Las Vegas residents were taken to University Medical Center tonight after the boat they were on exploded while being refueled at Callville Bay on Lake Mead. The fire was reported at 6 p.m.

Seven people were on the boat as it was being fueled, National Park Service spokesman Andrew Munoz said. None was injured seriously enough to require being airlifted to the hospital, but three were driven to UMC’s Trauma Unit.

Two others reported minor injuries, Munoz said.

The names of those hospitalized were not immediately released. Injuries included burns and abrasions, officials said.

Witnesses told park rangers that they saw the boat explode, throwing some of its passengers into the water, Munoz said.

While the cause is under investigation, he said, such incidents are often caused by a buildup of fumes. Given today’s extreme temperatures, he said, that was a likely scenario. An extreme heat advisory had been issued through 7 p.m. Thursday.

Employees of Forever Resorts, which operates the Callville Bay Marina, responded immediately, pulling victims from the water and moving the boat away from the fuel dock, Munoz said. The boat was privately owned, Forever Resorts spokeswoman Darla Cook said.

"They are trained in this kind of scenario and today that training paid off," Cook said of the resort employees.

The fuel dock and everything around it appeared undamaged, Munoz said. It appeared that the explosion smothered the fire.

In addition to National Park Service rangers and firefighters, four ambulances and two Clark County Fire Department engines responded.

Munoz said the Park Service recommends, especially on hot days, that boaters turn off their boats while refueling and after the tank is full that they turn on their engine blowers for three to five minutes to dissipate any fumes before restarting the engine.