A boat explosion in Oklahoma left a 5-year-old boy hospitalized with burns on his face, arms, and legs on Sunday afternoon.
According to News 9, the boat exploded on Oklahoma’s Lake Texoma on Sunday. Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Preston Cox said, “The Oklahoma Highway Patrol responded to what initially came in as an explosion.”
WFAA reported that the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety said the operators of the boat were getting fuel at Bridgeview Marina in Madill, Oklahoma, at roughly 2:45 p.m. on Sunday. After the operators had finished fueling the boat, they attempted to start the boat; however, a spark reportedly ignited the gasoline fumes and caused an explosion and a fire on the boat.
According to WFAA, the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety said three individuals were on the boat at the time of the explosion. A 51-year-old woman and a 25-year-old woman on the boat were uninjured in the blast, while a five-year-old boy sustained burns on his face, arms, and legs.
READ MORE: Video: Explosion leaves 1 dead, forces evacuations
The 5-year-old boy injured in the explosion was airlifted to Parkland Burn Center in Dallas, Texas, which is about 100 miles from the location of Sunday’s incident. Despite his injuries, the 5-year-old boy was listed in stable condition. According to News 9, Cox said the young boy is expected to recover and be released from the Parkland Burn Center soon.
Discussing Sunday’s boat explosion, Cox said, “This incident […] It’s tragic, unfortunately.” Cox added, “This is early on in the investigation, but right now, investigators do believe that there was no fault on any party and this was more of a malfunction on the engine side.”
According to News 9, while Oklahoma Highway Patrol officials believe the boat explosion was caused by a malfunction with an engine, the incident remains under investigation.
A picture shared on X, formerly Twitter, by Fresno Bee shows the fire that engulfed the boat following Sunday’s tragic explosion.
