Five people were injured in an explosion aboard a boat heading into Huntington Harbor in Huntington Beach on Sunday afternoon.
The Orange County Register reports that the incident happened at approximately 12:58 p.m. on Sunday, November 1st, as the Neptune, a 30-foot recreational boat, was pulling into the Harbor channel.
An eyewitness to the incident, Troy Ford, was cleaning his own vessel when the explosion occurred. Ford then saw smoke pouring from the boat and heard people screaming after the blast.
“I called 911, of course,” Ford said.
Several Good Samaritans in the vicinity offered a helping hand to those who were hurt in the accident or had jumped into the water from the boat.
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In a statement to reporters, Lt. Joe Cope with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department said that two men, a woman, two minor children—a boy and a girl—were injured in the on-board explosion. A sixth adult was also on board at the time, but the person suffered no injuries.
All those aboard the Neptune were taken to an area hospital for treatment. Their current condition had not been released at the time of the report.
So far, authorities do not know what caused the blast on-board the vessel. Lt. Cope said that the incident is still under investigation by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is also expected to look into the cause of the accident.
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