1 dead, 5 hospitalized after boat explosion, dock fire in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

ByT. Michelle Murphy, ABC News ABCNews logo
Tuesday, December 24, 2024 7:24PM
1 dead, 5 hospitalized after boat explosion, dock fire in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
1 person is dead and 5 were hospitalized after a boat explosion and fire at a Fort Lauderdale, Florida marina Monday, officials said.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- One person died and at least five were hospitalized after a boat explosion and dock fire at a marina in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The explosion occurred in direct view of an EarthCam feed set up at the Lauderdale Marina.

Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue responded to several 911 calls about the incident at approximately 6 p.m. Monday.

Upon arrival, they reported discovering one primary boat fire that had spread to a second nearby vessel at the marina, according to a statement from FLFR.

Several people were injured from both the explosion and the fire, officials noted, and five were sent to the hospital.

Three of those individuals were hospitalized with "traumatic" injuries, according to the FLFR.

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Divers and watercraft began searching for one individual who was unaccounted for after the blast, the statement said.

However, that person was found deceased by the Broward Sheriff's Office later that evening, according to the FLFR.

The man killed has been identified as Sebastien Gauthier, 41, of Quebec, Canada.

An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway, according to officials.

Agencies involved included the BSO, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S. Coast Guard.

ABC News' Matt Foster contributed to this report.

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