RedactedNarrative: The operator put 12 gallons of fuel in the watercraft via portable gas cans on the dock, then pulled away from the dock and the watercraft shut off after approximately 1 minute of operation. 
  
  The operator realized he did not turn the blower on. Once the blower switch was turned on, he could not hear it running. When reaching down to open the engine compartment to see if the blower was running, there was an explosion. When the operator "came to," a nearby boater was instructing him to jump in the water. The operator was assisted out of the water and brought to shore by nearby boater. The operator was not wearing a life jacket. The boat was fully engulfed when the deputy arrived on scene. The fire department extinguished the flames. The operator was transported by EMS to a nearby medical center burn unit. The boat was a Total Loss. Alcohol was not a factor.