CECIL COUNTY, Md. — We're learning more about what may have led to a boat explosion in Cecil County that hospitalized nine people on the Fourth of July.
Initial calls came in just after 4 p.m. Saturday regarding an explosion at Schaefer's Canal House and Marina near Chesapeake City involving a 32-foot vessel that was tied up to the dock.
A spokesperson with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources confirmed to WMAR-2 News that the vessel was a 1988 Wellcraft 32-foot cruiser.
The explosion occurred just after the vessel finished fueling at Schaefer's Canal House and Marina.
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Fire units arrived on the scene and found that 10 people needed to be evaluated, with nine suffering from various injuries.
Four of the victims—a 16-year-old boy from Elkton, a 19-year-old man from Elkton, a 31-year-old woman from Newark, Delaware, and a 31-year-old man, also from Newark—were flown to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center for treatment of serious burns.
Five other victims were taken to area medical centers for treatment, while an additional person was evaluated at the scene and did not require medical transport.
Two employees at the dock, an 18-year-old man and a 20-year-old man, were taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure due to smoke inhalation.
Investigators with the Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal say the possibility of a failure to turn on the fuel vapor blower fan or to allow it to properly exhaust after the vessel refueled could not be ruled out as a cause.
Deputy state fire marshals cleared the scene just before 9 p.m. Saturday. The boat sustained no fire damage.
The confirmed cause is still under investigation.
