RedactedNarrative: On 7/5/14 at approximately 1:30pm, a boating incident occurred on lake tillery near the fairway shores community in mount gilead nc. The vessel was a 19 foot 1987 glastron with a 140 horse power inboard motor. As operator was giving the vessel throttle, that is when they all heard a "woof" sound and they started seeing flames. They were approximately 50 yards from their dock and all on board were able to swim to safety. 
  
  The five individuals had been cleaning the vessel up since approximately 10:00am. As they finished cleaning the vessel at approximately 12:30pm, they fueled the vessel up with gas and checked the oil. At approximately 1:30pm, the five individuals were boarding the vessel and pushed off from their dock. As operator slowly started drifting to the middle of lake tillery, she started to give the vessel some throttle. Operator had only given the vessel roughly around a quarter throttle when they heard a "woof" sound two more times coming from the vessel. They had to swim approximately 50 yards to get to the dock. As they were swimming, victim told them he was burned. As they got to the dock, they helped pull victim out of the water and could see had been burned on his left leg. Victim's left leg had been burned from the knee down to his foot and the skin was peeling off. Victim also had burns to his right foot and his eyebrows, chest and arms were singed. The vessel floated to the shoreline near the dock. Since the motor cover had been blown off, i was able to see the vessel was equipped with a flame arrestor. Operator had completed her required boating safety course. 
  
  Victim received 2nd and 3rd degree burns to his left leg and foot. Victim was airlifted and received treatment at unc chapel hill. Lake tillery fire department was able to respond with their fire boat and put out the remaining fire on the vessel. Montgomery county ems was able to transport victim from the scene to lake tillery fire department and met a unc chapel hill helicopter that transported victim to the burn center at unc chapel hill. From my investigation, it appears that the cleaning vapors and the vapors from the fuel were trapped in the engine compartments. Although the vessel was equipped with a flame arrestor, it appeared to not be working correctly. With the flame arrestor not working correctly and the vapors of fuel not being able to escape, that resulted in the fire/explosion of the vessel. 
  
  No one was charged as a result of this incident.