Nation & World

Boat explosion on lake sends 5-year-old to hospital, Oklahoma officials say

A 5-year-old boy was flown to a hospital after a boat exploded in an Oklahoma lake, officials say.
A 5-year-old boy was flown to a hospital after a boat exploded in an Oklahoma lake, officials say. Photo courtesy of the Madill Fire Department.

A 5-year-old boy in Oklahoma was flown to a hospital after a boat he was on exploded, officials told news outlets.

The Madill Fire Department was called to Bridgeview Marina at Lake Texoma for reports of an explosion, according to a Facebook post.

A 51-year-old woman, a 25-year-old woman and the 5-year-old boy were on the boat at the time of the explosion at about 2:45 p.m. Aug. 4, the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety told WFAA.

The 5-year-old boy was flown to a hospital where he was treated for burns on his arms, legs and face, the outlet reported.

Officials told KOCO that the boat was being refueled at a dock, then it drifted. When a man tried to start the engine, a spark ignited and caused the explosion, officials told the outlet.

No other injuries were reported, officials said.

Crews used water from the lake to extinguish the fire.

Madill is about a 120-mile drive southeast of Oklahoma City.

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This story was originally published August 5, 2024 at 11:37 AM with the headline "Boat explosion on lake sends 5-year-old to hospital, Oklahoma officials say."

Jennifer Rodriguez
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Jennifer Rodriguez is a McClatchy National Real-Time reporter covering the Central and Midwest regions. She joined McClatchy in 2023 after covering local news in Youngstown, Ohio, for over six years. Jennifer has made several achievements in her journalism career, including receiving the Robert R. Hare Award in English, the Emerging Leader Justice and Equality Award, the Regional Edward R. Murrow Award and the Distinguished Hispanic Ohioan Award.