REFUELLING BOAT CATCHES FIRE
A PERSON was taken to Geelong hospital with burns after a boat caught fire while refuelling at the waterfront yesterday.
The Royal Geelong Yacht Club, which is hosting the 2019-20 International Cadet Class Australian Championship until today, was evacuated during the incident about 11.50am and an exclusion zone set up around the club.
CFA commander Wayne Aylmer said investigations into the blaze had started, with mechanical error a possible cause.
He said there was no visible damage to the boat but there was an issue with a spark plug.
“They’ve refuelled the boat and then trying to restart it they’ve had a fire in the engine compartment,” he said.
“That was quickly extinguished by the people on the boat with an extinguisher.
“It’s come from the mooring, travelled here to pick up fuel and wouldn’t start, and that’s when they’ve run into trouble.”
Crew member Nicholas
Coulter, who was on the boat with his father and mate, said he believed vapour fumes may have ignited under the vessel.
He told his father to jump overboard after the explosion.
“After we filled the boat up, we tried to turn it over and it just went bang,” he said.
“I was outside the boat holding onto it looking over to where it happened and she just went bang, flames straight up in the air.
“I let go of the boat and fell and then my old man slipped over and hurt his elbow.
“My Dad had burns to his elbows, nose and feet, skin peeling, it wasn’t pretty.”
Firefighters and paramedics attended, with the incident soon brought under control.
A Geelong hospital spokesman said one person was admitted to hospital with burns and was in a stable condition.