Gas in the bilge???

[Ray]

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Enforcement Division agents patrolling Old River in Pointe Coupee Parish responded to a call about a boat explosion after 7 p.m. on July 4. The boat had 6 passengers on board at the time of the explosion and all passengers, including the operator, ended up in the water.
The boat's occupants were quickly pulled from the water by West Feliciana Parish Sheriff?s deputies working in the area and taken back to the boat launch. Agents responding found that Matthew P. Wilkes, 26, of Lakeland, was operating a 19-foot ski boat on Old River, when for unknown reasons the engine compartment exploded. Five of the passengers received third degree burns on their legs and backs. The injured were taken by Acadian Ambulance and Acadian Air Med to local hospitals for immediate medical treatment of their burns.
Those injured were: Raina Brown, 24, of Baton Rouge; Todd Hymel, 27, of Baton Rouge; Chris Duet, 25, of Baton Rouge; Keith Silvio, 25, of Baton Rouge; and Dustin Musso, 28, of Baton Rouge. Wilkes and passenger Allyson Marshall, 23, of Lakeland, were not injured.
The accident is currently under investigation by LDWF's Enforcement Division. Agents working the investigation are Sgt. Chris Carpenter and Senior Agent Allan Marbury. The West Feliciana Parish Sheriff's Office, Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff?s Office and LDWF all responded to the incident.

[Micah]

I saw this a couple of days ago, hope them guys are ok.

I wish they would update it with what caused the explosion.

[LaAngler]

inboard ski boats are bad about building fumes, you have to air out the engine compartment before starting it sometimes.

[Ray]

Newer boats with inboards and I/O's have to have the blower run for 3 to 5 min. before they can start the engine.
Older ones just have a tag saying to do that.
I have an electronic gas sniffer on my Chris Craft. If it smells gas, it alerts me and I don't start it.
I also always lift the hatch and smell for gas after every fill up.