A fire engulfed a boat off the Florida coast near New Port Richey, causing 50 people aboard to jump into the Gulf of Mexico. At least 15 people were injured, according to local officials.
The boat was headed to an offshore casino ship when the fire started just after 4 p.m. ET, reports the Tampa Bay Times. Passengers had to jump into the cool waters to swim to safety on shore. Behind them, the boat was destroyed by the fire.
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Authorities said everyone on board survived. Only 15 were taken to a local hospital to be treated for minor injuries, including chest pain and smoke inhalation. One passenger is in critical condition, according to NBC News affiliate WFLA.
Based on the early findings of the investigation, the boat had engine trouble, Pasco County Fire Rescue division chief Shawn Whited told Reuters.
The 60-foot boat was headed to a Sun Cruz Casino boat, located three miles from the coast in international waters for legal gambling. The boat caught on fire just 100 yards from shore.
After he saw the smoke, the captain told passengers to abandon ship.
“The captain of the boat said there was an issue with the engine. He said he noticed smoke coming form the engine room and turned the boat around,” Whited told the news agency.
“They didn’t have much time to decide whether or not to jump,” witness Bakr Jandali told the Tampa Bay Times. “The fire was moving fast. It was a hard jump.”
Larry Santangelo, who lives near the scene, told the Tampa Bay Times he thought his own house was on fire. When he got closer to the scene, he saw passengers from the boat “walking around, confused and shaking.”
“At the end of the day, everyone’s cold, everyone’s wet, but everyone’s safe,” Port Richey Police Department Detective Angel Russo added.
Photo credit: Facebook/ New Port Richey Police Department
