On 5/29/2010 Officer received a radio call from Clayton County Sheriff's Dept Radio Dispatcher advising of a boat that had exploded at the boat ramp in Frenchtown (Willie's Landing) on Mississippi Road.  Subjects advised that earlier in the day he had taken the PWC to Guttenberg and filled the gas tank.  He came home, parked it in the driveway and hit the key switch to make sure that it started, it did.  He stated that his son and friend washed the PWC.  They then let it dry.  The PWC sat out in the hot sun.  At approximately noon the son and friend put on type III lifejackets and got on the PWC.  The son was in the operator's position.  Subject drove his van with the boy's riding the PWC down to the boat ramp and began to back the PWC into the Mississippi River to launch the two boy's so they could go riding.  As Subject was backing up he kept waiting for the PWC to start and take off when he reached the correct depth.  Subject stated that suddenly there was an explosion & when he looked the boys were in the air.  He got out and observed his son sitting in the water dazed and confused.  The PWC was on fire.  The friend was unconscious and floating face down in the water.  Subject ran out to the friend, turned him over so he was face up and drug him to shore by his lifejacket.  The friend coughed and come to shortly after.
Guttenberg                    