WILDWOOD, N.J. — A 40-foot yacht exploded and caught fire while refueling at Schooner Island Marina in Wildwood, New Jersey, on Thursday, forcing one person to jump to safety, local authorities reported.
The incident occurred around 12:40 p.m., with Wildwood firefighters responding to the scene. The fire was brought under control by 1:20 p.m., according to local Fox affiliate WTXF-TV. No serious injuries were reported, but the yacht sank to the bottom of the marina.
Witnesses described hearing a loud explosion as the yacht was being refueled. Paul Daiber, who has stored his boat at the marina for 25 years, told NJ.com he was fishing nearby when he heard a powerful thud and saw debris from the yacht flying through the air.
“It just progressively got worse and worse until it erupted in flames,” Daiber said. He added that this was the first time he had witnessed a boat explosion at the marina in his quarter-century there.
Another witness, speaking to WTXF-TV, likened the explosion to “something out of a movie,” describing how she saw parts of the boat’s deck flying from one dock to another.
Bystanders attempted to slow the spread of flames using fire extinguishers before firefighters arrived. The fire created large plumes of smoke visible to beachgoers blocks away, with the scent of gasoline permeating the air around the marina.
The New Jersey State Police are leading the investigation into the cause of the explosion and subsequent fire. As of Thursday afternoon, no official cause had been determined.
