Accidents of the Week - July 12, 2025
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7 Boaters, Including 5-Year-Old, Injured in Explosion
7/4/25 – Atlanta, GA
Seven people were injured after a boat exploded on Georgia’s Lake Lanier during the Fourth of July holiday.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said a 23-foot cabin-cruiser being towed in Landshark Cove near Margaritaville exploded around 7 p.m. on July Fourth. Five people were taken to area hospitals, including at least one who was airlifted.
Victims Range from 45 to 5 Years Old
The DNR said the injured suffered second and third-degree burns. Two people were treated at the scene for minor injuries, according to a Hall County Fire Department spokesperson.
The boat was fully engulfed by five-foot-high flames, the Hall County Fire Department said. The victims ranged in age from 45 to 5 years old, Mark McKinnon with the DNR said.
The fire was put out using a portable pump, officials said, and with assistance from Gainesville Fire’s Marine Rescue boat. The cause of the explosion remained unknown and was under investigation by the Hall County Fire Marshal’s Office.
July 4th Boat Explosion Injures 7 on Georgia Lake
7/4/25 – Union Co., GA
A second boat explosion was confirmed to have taken place in Northeast Georgia on July Fourth.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reported in their boating statistics report issued on 5 July that a boat explosion happened on the state’s Lake Nottely in Union County on the fourth. A similar incident had been reported the previous evening in Lake Lanier.
"A vessel had just gotten fuel at Cozy Cove Marina and had idled away from the marina," the DNR's report said. "While still inside the No Wake Zone, the engine cut off momentarily and when they attempted to re-crank it, the explosion occurred."
Seven people were taken from the scene with what the DNR called varying degrees of burns. The boat reportedly continued burning until it ultimately sank.
Pontoon Boat Capsizes, 4-Year-Old Girl Critically Injured
7/4/25 – Putnam Co., GA
A 4-year-old girl was left in critical condition after the pontoon boat she was on overturned in Georgia’s Lake Oconee, officials said.
Game wardens told local news that the girl was found under the boat after the terrifying incident.
Officials with the Putnam County Sheriff's Office explained that game wardens were called to the lake around 10:20 p.m. on the Fourth of July to rescue a dozen people who had fallen into the water. According to witnesses, the situation began when a large wave hit the front of the boat. The passengers then panicked and ran to the back of the pontoon, causing the vessel to capsize.
Child Found Under Boat by Former Lifeguard
After rescuing many of the occupants, the game wardens realized that a 4-year-old who had been wearing a flotation device was missing. A former lifeguard dove under the boat and found the child.
Medics rushed the girl to Putnam General Hospital, and from there she was airlifted to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta in critical condition. Authorities did not share an update on the girl's condition or release her name at the time.
Virginia Fire Crews Respond to Boat Fire
7/3/25 – Norfolk, VA
Fire crews responded to a boat blaze in Portsmouth, Virginia, just before 6 a.m. on 3 July.
When crews arrived on scene, they discovered a boat with smoke and flames billowing from it. The U.S. Coast Guard, Portsmouth police, Virginia Marine Police, and Portsmouth's Fire Boat-2 were able to bring the blaze under control and extinguish it within 20 minutes.
No one was on board at the time of the fire, however Portsmouth fire crews said the damage was significant enough to deem the vessel a total loss. No civilians or firefighters reported injuries.
The cause of the fire was being investigated by the Coast Guard as well as the Virginia Marine Police.
Two Injured After Boat Collides with Dock
7/4/25 – Flagler Co., FL
Two people were injured after a boat collided with a dock on the evening of July Fourth in Flagler County, Florida, officials said.
Emergency units from multiple organizations responded to a boating accident around 5 p.m. in the Intracoastal Waterway near Beverly Beach. The organizations included the Flagler Beach Fire Department, Palm Coast Fire Department, Flagler County Fire Rescue, Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, Flagler Beach Ocean Rescue and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
When first responders arrived at the scene, they said they saw a single pontoon boat that had collided with a dock.
Officials said two people were rescued from the water and taken to the hospital. One person was declared a trauma alert and sustained life-threatening injuries, and the second was reported to be in stable condition.
It was unclear at the time what had led to the crash, how many people were on board the boat at the time and how badly the boat was damaged. Authorities said the incident remained under investigation by the FWC.
Fire on North Carolina Lake Destroys Pier, Boat, PWC
7/5/25 – Columbus Co., NC
An early morning fire on North Carolina’s Lake Waccamaw destroyed a pier, a boat, and a personal watercraft (PWC) then damaged another pier at the lake on 5 July.
Lake Waccamaw Mayor Matt Wilson said firefighters were called to a home on Waccamaw Shores around 1:30 a.m. Shortly thereafter, he said, a neighbor called and alerted him to the fire.
Fire Visible ‘Across the Lake’: Mayor
“You could see it across the lake,” Wilson said. A personal watercraft tied to the burning dock broke free and damaged the underside of a neighboring pier, Wilson said, but firefighters managed to stop that blaze.
The pier and vessels were owned by a family from Fayetteville, Wilson said. The property is a vacation home for the family. The fire was under investigation by the county fire marshal’s office. No injuries were reported.
Man Helps Put Out Fire After PWC Explodes
7/5/25 – Cleveland, OH
A man was being credited with helping rescue at least one person after a personal watercraft (PWC) burst into flames in the Flats district of Cleveland, Ohio, on the night of 5 July.
Dylan Kunz told local reporters he was with his father in the Flats around 9 p.m. when they heard an explosion and saw flames coming from a PWC in the water near the swing bridge off Center Street. The Cleveland Fire Department responded to the scene, where crews found the watercraft burning in the water off the dock.
"When the jet ski exploded, it threw fuel and oil all over the dock," Kunz told reporters. "So as I came running I wound up slipping and going flying into the water, which kind of worked out because the fire was on the left side of the jet ski. So actually, when I popped out of the water, I was right where it was, and I was able to extinguish it."
Kunz helped pull at least one person from the water during the incident. No injuries were reported.