Viral alert: a boat caught fire at Lake of the Ozarks on a busy Memorial Day Tuesday.
The driver and passengers, including children, safely got off the boat before it exploded and then sunk.
"Something didn't seem right, they lifted the hatch and then we had fire," said Tow Boat US Captain Charles Meyer.
Charles Meyer never knows what to expect at work, but it certainly was not this.
"It's just one of the things we do if we can help. The adrenaline is kinda up.
We knew it was a lost cause. Really we didn't put the fire out, the lake did," Captain Meyer stated. He and others remember the fire being huge.
"Got on a jet ski and went out, saw a big cigarette boat that looked like it got torched. It looked like it exploded actually. There was a huge part of the hull that was gone," stated Charlie Murphy, said a man who saw the boat catch fire.
Thankfully no one was hurt.
"They had 10 people on the boat and they all got off safely, several children. There was enough time for them to get off. They were smart enough to know they don't want to be on for very long," continued Captain Meyer.
Troopers said the fire started inside the engine compartment. This is Captain Meyer’s best advice for you. This boater said he did and it has helped him be safer.
"Knowing where the fire extinguisher is, knowing what to do in case of emergency, knowing if it's burning down to get off the boat. I think more people should do it though," Murphy said.
Captain Meyer said he thinks this was an accident and that is why you need as much preparation before you get on a boat.
"You can't completely think that you're going to be able to be out here and be perfectly safe because you're on the water. I don't care where you are. I don't care what ocean you're on. I don't care what lake you're on. I've been on many, many oceans and many, many lakes. Things happen. That's inevitable," Captain Meyer finished.
Again boat workers said accidents can happen anywhere whether on Lake of the Ozarks or dry land, so be safe and have fun. Workers at a towing company said that 37 foot boat is still underwater. The plan is to recover it next week. Again no one was hurt when it exploded.
The driver and passengers, including children, safely got off the boat before it exploded and then sunk.
"Something didn't seem right, they lifted the hatch and then we had fire," said Tow Boat US Captain Charles Meyer.
Charles Meyer never knows what to expect at work, but it certainly was not this.
"It's just one of the things we do if we can help. The adrenaline is kinda up.
We knew it was a lost cause. Really we didn't put the fire out, the lake did," Captain Meyer stated. He and others remember the fire being huge.
"Got on a jet ski and went out, saw a big cigarette boat that looked like it got torched. It looked like it exploded actually. There was a huge part of the hull that was gone," stated Charlie Murphy, said a man who saw the boat catch fire.
Thankfully no one was hurt.
"They had 10 people on the boat and they all got off safely, several children. There was enough time for them to get off. They were smart enough to know they don't want to be on for very long," continued Captain Meyer.
Troopers said the fire started inside the engine compartment. This is Captain Meyer’s best advice for you. This boater said he did and it has helped him be safer.
"Knowing where the fire extinguisher is, knowing what to do in case of emergency, knowing if it's burning down to get off the boat. I think more people should do it though," Murphy said.
Captain Meyer said he thinks this was an accident and that is why you need as much preparation before you get on a boat.
"You can't completely think that you're going to be able to be out here and be perfectly safe because you're on the water. I don't care where you are. I don't care what ocean you're on. I don't care what lake you're on. I've been on many, many oceans and many, many lakes. Things happen. That's inevitable," Captain Meyer finished.
Again boat workers said accidents can happen anywhere whether on Lake of the Ozarks or dry land, so be safe and have fun. Workers at a towing company said that 37 foot boat is still underwater. The plan is to recover it next week. Again no one was hurt when it exploded.
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