Fireball engulfs couple on boat at Pwllheli

Sep 4 2008 by Dion Jones, Caernarfon and Denbigh Herald

A COUPLE escaped with their lives after their boat exploded last week.

The alarm was raised at around 3.45pm last Friday afternoon when witnesses saw plumes of black smoke billowing 100ft into the air from the 26ft catamaran which was moored in Pwllheli harbour.

A man, believed to be in his 50s, was airlifted to hospital with severe burns to his face, arms and feet following the incident while a 45-year-old woman, who was also on board the vessel, was treated for shock.

Fire investigators have now revealed that the fire was caused by an adhesive which was ignited by a gas-powered fridge.

A spokesman for the Pwllheli RNLI said: “We managed to launch the inshore lifeboat as soon as we received the call which was between 3.30pm and 4.pm.

“There wasn’t much water below the yacht and the couple had managed to get out of the yacht.

“We picked them up and took them to the outer harbour slipway.”

Firefighters from Pwllheli and Porthmadog were called to the scene and used one main jet to extinguish the flames.

Despite their efforts, the boat was completely destroyed.

A Welsh Ambulance Service spokesman said: “We received a call at 3.53pm on Friday. We dispatched an ambulance to the scene which arrived within four minutes of the initial call.

“On arrival the ambulance crew treated a male in his fifties for 35% burns to his right arm, torso, legs and face.

“The North Wales Air Ambulance was called to the scene to transport the male patient to Ysbyty Gwynedd.

“A 45-year-old woman was also transported to the hospital by road as a precaution.”

dion.jones