A boat explosion near Hart Island in the Bronx resulted in injuries to three individuals and forced 19 others to swim to safety on Saturday night, according to fire officials and law enforcement sources. The boat, carrying 22 passengers, burst into flames around 8:30 p.m., causing panic and chaos as passengers plunged into the Long Island Sound.
Assistant Fire Chief Mike Meyers reported that first responders were quickly on the scene. Three individuals, one in critical condition, were rescued from the water. The remaining passengers managed to swim to the nearby 131-acre islet. The Coast Guard later transported them to a boat basin on City Island.
The victims were taken to nearby hospitals for evaluation. All are expected to recover, according to sources. The cause of the fire, believed to have been sparked by an explosion on the boat, is still under investigation.
A witness at the scene described seeing “a bunch of smoke while walking down the block,” noting the heavy police and fire presence. The witness described the smoke as “very thick heavy black smoke that lasted about a good 10 minutes,” indicating the seriousness of the incident.
Images shared on social media showed plumes of black smoke billowing into the night sky near Hart Island, located at the western end of the Sound. The type of boat involved in the incident was not immediately known, but Meyers suggested it was of a “pretty decent size” to carry nearly two dozen passengers.
The bridge to City Island, which was briefly shut down to facilitate the transportation of victims, has since reopened.