On September 1st, 2023, at approximately 6:00 p.m., Operator1 was operating his personally owned vessel (vessel 1) at Lake Bruin in Tensas Parish. The vessel is a 21' 6' steering wheel operated Moomba ski boat. Operator1 advised that he had been having problems with the engine during the summer, and he wanted Occupant1 to inspect it while underway. Operator1 stated that the boat engine began running rough and they smelled gas soon after departing his pier. 

Occupant1 opened the engine compartment and found no issues. Occupant1 closed the engine compartment and advised Operator1 to return to the pier. When Operator1 throttled up to return to the pier, there was a loud explosion and fire from the engine compartment. 

Operator1 stated he did not think there was time to extinguish the fire, given the size of the flames already engulfing the vessel. Also, the flames were between Operator1 and his stored fire extinguisher. Operator1 and Occupant1 both grabbed personal flotation devices and jumped overboard into the lake. The two men began to swim to Operator1's pier nearby. 

Another vessel in the area picked them up and transported them to Operator1's pier. Once on the pier, the men observed the burning vessel drift into Operator1's neighbors' pier causing it to catch fire as well, burning approximately 14 boards of the pier deck, along with the support posts and some electrical wiring.  Another vessel nearby stopped and sprayed water onto the burning vessel and pier, extinguishing most of the flames. The Tensas Parish Fire Department responded to the location and extinguished the remaining flames on the vessel and pier. 

         I arrived on scene at approximately 6:52 p.m., and interviewed Operator1 and Occupant1 about the incident. I obtained registration information for the vessel and took photographs of the vessel and the burned pier at this time. There were no injuries reported and no signs of drug or alcohol use. The PFDs worn by both subjects were lying on Operator1 pier when I arrived. The engine compartment of the vessel was completely burned and no legible serial number for the motor was found. I believe lack of ventilation of gas fumes was the primary cause of this incident, though Operator1 stated he turned on the blower before he started the engine. Both parties stated that they could smell an odor of gasoline before the incident occurred.

Lake Bruin
St. Jospeh                    