A man in his 60s has been left with serious burns after a boat fire raged through his property in Hyannis, Massachusetts. The incident occurred Sunday morning, just before 9:30 a.m., on Skating Rink Road. Firefighters arrived to find a 25-foot boat fully engulfed in flames, as first reported by CBS Boston.
According to the same report by CBS Boston, the man was working on the boat when it caught fire, and despite trying to rapidly put out the blaze, sustained first-degree burns to his head, arms, and legs. Hyannis Fire Captain David Webb recounted the man's efforts to extinguish the fire, noting that firefighters took control upon arrival and focused on the man's condition. Webb shared with CBS Boston, "Once they started treatment on the patient, they quickly evaluated that they needed Boston Medflight to bring the patient to Brigham and Women's Hospital."
The man's current condition places him in the ICU, as confirmed by his girlfriend to CBS Boston. Although the fire's cause remains under investigation, authorities have not reported any property damage beyond the boat itself, nor any other injuries. The unexpected blaze startled local residents, with one neighbor, Jerry Timino, describing the sudden incident as "just a loud bang in the neighborhood" to CBS Boston.
Further details of the fire and the man's conditions were shared by Boston 25 News, reporting that the man was initially transported to Cape Cod Gateway airport by Hyannis Fire Ambulance. From there, he was Med flighted to a burn center in the Boston area. The degree of his injuries still remains officially unconfirmed, with follow-up stories actively to develop.
This incident serves as a sobering reminder of the potential dangers inherent in boat maintenance and repair. The Hyannis community has been left rattled by the unexpected explosion and the man's injuries, as investigations continue into the root of the accident.
