Explosion Rocks 23-Foot Boat at Newport Dock

An explosion rocked a 23-foot motorboat shortly after it had gassed up at a Newport Beach fueling dock Sunday, inflicting second-degree burns on two of four passengers and sending two into the water, authorities said.

The all-wood “Bon Vivant” had just taken on about 12 gallons of fuel at Jerry’s Marine near Pacific Coast Highway and Newport Boulevard. The boat’s engine was running and it was starting to pull away when the explosion occurred about 12:15 p.m., according to Orange County Sheriff’s Harbor Patrol deputies.

Orange County Sheriff’s Deputy Pat Fergus said a preliminary investigation indicated that a backfire from the carburetor probably ignited gasoline fumes in the bilge, causing about $1,000 damage. The explosion shattered the boat’s windows, lifted seats from the deck and set life jackets afire.

Owner Vern Monroe of Newport Beach and passenger Rod Garner, 57, of Hermosa Beach jumped into the water while Sheila Lamb, 31, of Santa Ana and an unidentified woman passenger, who were sitting on the landward side of the boat, jumped onto the dock.

Lamb and Garner were both treated at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian for second-degree burns on their feet and ankles and released late Sunday.

“They were fortunate, very fortunate,” Deputy Fergus said.

Jerry Mandeson, owner of the fueling dock, said the explosion could have ignited other fuel at the dock or could have sunk the boat. The boat was still tethered to the dock because workers were just about to untie the motorboat when the gas blew up.

Engine Still Running

Mandeson noted that the boat still was running after the four people had jumped off and that it could have gotten out of range and burned before the fire could be put out.

As it was, dockworkers trained fire extinguishers, then hoses on the flames, and only cushions were left smoldering when the Harbor Patrol boat arrived.

“It was very fortunate that it happened to them here,” Mandeson said. “If it happened in the middle of the channel, they’d have had a long swim.”

Monroe said he wasn’t sure what had caused the blast, adding that he had the boat’s blower, which vents gasoline fumes out of the engine, on at the time. He declined further comment.

Fergus said Monroe was probably mistaken--the boat’s blower was apparently not on, rather the bilge pump was operating and Monroe could have thought the hum from the pump was the blower. Therefore, gas fumes could have collected in the boat’s bilge and ignited from the spark of the carburetor.

The Bon Vivant was towed to Harbor Patrol headquarters. Fergus said it would remain there for the initial investigation and then be returned to Monroe.