One man is dead and another was injured when a boat exploded at Manhasset Bay Marina in Manorhaven Wednesday afternoon.
According to detectives, two male occupants along with two male employees were fueling a 33-foot Carver motor boat, when an explosion occurred, setting the boat and the dock on fire.
Police say one male victim, who was hurled into the water due to the explosion, sustained fatal injuries. Police confirmed the man’s identity Thursday as Robert J. Hogan, 74 of Port Washington.
A third male employee came running to their aid and managed to push the boat away from the dock, setting it adrift.
“A dock boy at the fuel station jumped into the water to save an elderly man,” said Debbie Pedeschi, who witnessed the explosion.
This victim suffered burns on his arms and face and was transported to a local hospital where he is listed in stable condition.
More Photos from The Scene of the Explosion
Police say the boat then drifted to a nearby dock, setting it on fire and causing damage to two additional boats.
First on the scene were Manorhaven Chief Code Enforcement officer Michael Abramski and Code Officer Ron Kaslow, who acted after noticing black smoke billowing east of Village Hall.
The two men went to the marina, saw the boat in flames and saw the arrival fire personnel. By this time, the boat had been pushed from the dock and began floating in the bay.
The boat ran aground on a shoal and more than a dozen fire trucks and at three fire boats were there to meet it. In addition to Port Washington, fire departments from Manhasset, Roslyn and Great Neck were on the scene, as well as Port Washington Police, Nassau County Police and rescue boats from Port Washington, the Town of North Hempstead, and the New York City Fire Department . The fire boats were most effective because they were able to get closest to the boat.
Roseann San Filippo, who was at a nearby restaurant and stepped out when she smelled smoke, said, “At one point there was nothing but flames and dramatic black smoke. The whole boat was completely engulfed.”
It was not immediately known who the owner of the boat was.
The victims have not been identified pending notice of next of kin.
No other injuries were reported.
The investigation is ongoing.
