Explosion Destroys Boat Being Fueled in Newport Harbor
Police are investigating a boat explosion in Newport Harbor on Sunday that blew one man onto the dock and destroyed the vessel, police said.
Brothers Jeffrey Clayton Hines, 45, of Cardiff, and Marc Langley Hines, 43, of Rancho Mirage, were filling a friend’s powerboat with gasoline at Hill’s Chevron in Newport Harbor when it exploded. Earlier, the 28-foot vessel had failed to start, so Jeffrey Hines held two electrical wires together while his brother turned the ignition key, said Sgt. Jim Thomas of the Sheriff’s Department’s Harbor Patrol. This caused a spark that ignited gas vapors.
The force of the explosion pushed Jeffrey Hines off the boat and onto the dock, while his brother jumped to the dock safely. The boat’s docking line was cut, setting it adrift.
The Harbor Patrol towed the burning vessel to the center of the harbor and doused the flames.
“If we hadn’t done that, the whole dock would have blown up,” said Sgt. Jim Thomas.
No one was injured, Thomas said. He added that boat fires are common, and the department advises boaters to vent their engine compartments and use their ventilation fans to clear away gas fumes.
The boat’s owner was not present when the explosion occurred, Thomas said. Neither brother has been cited. The loss was estimated at $30,000.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
