ON SEPTEMBER 18TH, 2023, AT APPROXIMATELY 08:30 HOURS, OPERATOR WAS OPERATING HIS 17'' SAILFISH FIBERGLASS MOTORBOAT (VESSEL 1) ON THE INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY IN HAMPSTEAD HEADING NORTH ADJACENT TO SLOOP POINT.  OPERATOR WAS ACCOMPANIED ON VESSEL 1 WITH HIS SON, PASSENGER.  WHEN VESSEL 1 REACHED THE INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY AFTER LEAVING THE NCWRC HAMPSTEAD BOAT RAMP, OPERATOR GAVE VESSEL 1 THROTTLE ATTEMPTING TO GET THE VESSEL ON PLANE.  VESSEL 1 STALLED OUT AND THE ENGINE CUT OFF.  OPERATOR CRANKED VESSEL 1 UP SEVERAL TIMES AND THE ENGINE WOULD RUN A FEW SECONDS AND CUT OFF.  OPERATOR ANCHORED VESSEL 1 ON EASTERN SIDE OF THE WATERWAY CHANNEL AND CONTACTED SEA TOW.  OPERATOR AND HIS SON, PASSENGER, HEARD SOMETHING THAT SOUNDED LIKE WATER RUNNING NEAR THE STERN BILGE AREA OF THE BOAT AND THOUGHT THEY WERE TAKING ON WATER.  OPERATOR WENT TO THE STERN OF VESSEL 1 AND OPENED THE STERN STARBOARD SIDE HATCH TO THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT.  WHILE OPERATOR WAS BENT OVER BATTERY COMPARTMENT A WIRE FROM THE BILGE PUMP ARCED AT THE BATTERY TERMINAL AND IGNITED GAS VAPORS FROM FUEL THAT HAD LEAKED INTO THE BILGE.  THERE WAS A LOUD EXPLOSION THAT BLEW OFF THE HATCHES AND ACCESS COVERS IN VESSEL 1.  OPERATOR SUFFERED 2ND DEGREE BURNS TO HIS FACE, 2ND AND 3RD DEGREE BURNS TO HIS LEFT HAND, 1ST DEGREE BURNS TO HIS EARS, 1ST DEGREE BURNS TO HIS ARMS, AND 1ST DEGREE BURNS TO HIS LEFT LEG FROM THE EXPLOSION.  PASSENGER, WHO WAS STANDING IN THE BOW OF VESSEL 1 DURING THE EXPLOSION, GRABBED A FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND PUT OUT THE FIRE THAT HE SAW IN THE STERN OF THE BOAT COMING FROM THE BILGE AREA.  PASSENGER THEN SAW BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM THE BOW ANCHOR HATCH, SO HE EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE IN THE BOW COMPARTMENT.  PASSENGER CALLED A MAYDAY ON THE VHF RADIO AND CALLED EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS VIA PHONE FOR HELP.  A CONCERNED BOATER PASSING BY VESSEL 1 PICKED UP OPERATOR AND PASSENGER AND TRANSPORTED THEM TO THE NCWRC BOAT RAMP IN HAMPSTEAD.  EMS TRANSPORTED OPERATOR TO THE NEW HANOVER COUNTY HOSPITAL AND LATER TO CHAPEL HILL HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT OF HIS SEVERE BURNS.  OPERATOR WAS CHECKED OUT BY EMS AND RELEASED ON SCENE AT THE BOAT RAMP.  VESSEL 1 SUFFERED BURN DAMAGE TO WIRES AND FUEL LINES AS WELL AS DAMAGE TO SEVERAL ACCESS COVERS AND HATCHES. I, NC WILDLIFE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, ARRIVED ON SCENE AT THE NCWRC HAMPSTEAD BOATING ACCESS AREA AT APPROXIMATELY 11:20 HOURS ON SEPTEMBER18TH, 2023. WHEN I BOARDED VESSEL 1 THERE WAS A STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE ONBOARD AND THE STERN BILGE HAD A LOT OF FUEL IN IT.
ICW
HAMPSTEAD                     