Fishing Boat Explodes Outside Maryland Restaurant on Independence Day

A Fourth of July celebration turned into a terrifying emergency when a fishing boat exploded moments after refueling outside a popular Maryland seafood restaurant, leaving nine people injured and sending several victims to the hospital by helicopter.

The violent blast happened at about 4:20 p.m. Saturday along the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal in Chesapeake City, a small waterfront town near the Delaware border and roughly 50 miles northeast of Baltimore.

According to the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office, the 32-foot boat had just finished refueling outside Schaefer’s Canal House when it suddenly exploded while still tied to the dock.

Seven of the injured victims were aboard the boat, while two others were standing on a nearby dock when the explosion erupted. Authorities have not publicly released their names.

Four victims suffered injuries serious enough to require emergency airlifts by the Maryland State Police Aviation Command. They were taken to a ChristianaCare medical facility, while the other five injured people were transported to area hospitals by ambulance.

Vincent Hunter Dortenzo, a spokesperson for the Maryland Natural Resources Police, told The New York Times that the four airlifted victims suffered serious burns.

No deaths were reported, though the latest conditions of those hospitalized were not immediately available.

The explosion triggered a massive emergency response involving multiple medical helicopters, paramedics and more than half a dozen fire departments.

Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 of Chesapeake City, Cecil County Paramedics, IAFF Local 4645 and several surrounding departments rushed to the scene.

Dortenzo said the vessel was a 1988 Wellcraft and remained secured to the dock when the blast occurred.

Photos from the scene showed extensive damage to the boat following the explosion.

The Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office said investigators were still working to determine what caused the blast and promised to release additional information as it became available.

The Chesapeake City explosion was one of several serious boating emergencies reported across the country during the holiday weekend as millions of Americans headed onto the water for Fourth of July celebrations.

In Virginia, four people were rescued Friday morning after their boat capsized off Virginia Beach. The Virginia Beach Fire Department said no serious injuries were reported.

That same day in Maryland, two adults and two children were hospitalized after their boat caught fire in the Patapsco River shortly before noon, according to The Baltimore Banner.

One adult and one child suffered burns, but all four victims were reportedly in stable condition. The cause of that fire was not immediately known.

Another holiday boating tragedy unfolded in Wisconsin, where three children under the age of 11 were killed after a boat carrying 10 people capsized on Geneva Lake during a sudden storm Friday.

Six adults and a fourth child were rescued, but crews were initially unable to locate the other three children.

Their bodies were later recovered following an extensive search. Hundreds of mourners gathered in Lake Geneva to honor the young victims.