Two people were rescued from the Intracoastal Waterway in Fort Lauderdale yesterday after their boat caught fire near the Commercial Boulevard bridge. Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue responded just before 5 p.m. after witnesses on the bridge saw black smoke coming from the vessel, according to WSVN.
The boat owner, Ivan Sayles, and a passenger jumped into the water after an engine explosion occurred shortly after they left the nearby Kaluz restaurant. Firefighters quickly extinguished the flames. Sayles told Local 10, “I’m grateful to be alive. It’s crazy — the boat just exploded.”
Both individuals sustained minor injuries and declined medical treatment at the scene.
Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue officials are investigating the cause of the fire. The boat has been towed for further examination, and no official cause has been released at this time.
