Man injured in Swansea boat fire
UPDATED 5:00 PM
By: Melissa Randall
@MRAndallABC6
A boat in Swansea caught fire and exploded injuring the owner. Amazingly Bob Debuc escaped with only minor injuries— singed eyebrows and burns on his arms and stomach.
Out of the hospital and back on his feet, Dubuc was too shaken to go on camera, but tells ABC6 news he had to react quickly. He had two choices: go for the fire extinguisher or escape in the dingy tied to the back of the boat. With his life on the line, Debuc didn’t leave anything up to chance and got off the ‘Tepee.’
The old wooden vessel, which was moored in the water, caught fire around 9:30 Wednesday while Debuc was trying to start the gas engine.
“I just was out for my morning ride. Came down to the beach and was sitting here and heard the guy call for 911 that the boat was on fire,” said witness Carol Desmarais.
A short time later Desmarais says she heard a loud bang.
“All of the sudden it just blew up into full flames. The cabin went down. The police came flying and by the time they got to the boat the cabin was all burnt,” she said.
The Swansea fire department put out the flames and brought the vessel to the town boat launch. The aftermath is heartbreaking for Debuc whose kids grew up on the boat. It had been with the family for nearly 30 years.
“He works on it and works on it and it was in fantastic condition– so probably meant a little more to him than boats mean to most people,” explained Chief Peter Burke of the Swansea Fire Department.
The cause of the accident is under investigation, but officials say the problem likely has to do with carburetor or fuel line. Regardless, the fire chief says Debuc is lucky to be alive.
“You never know with something like that. I’ve seen a lot of those explosions and you get second and third degree burns so he’s very fortunate,” said Chief Burke.
Unfortunately the boat sustained heavy damage, and Debuc says it likely won’t be salvaged.
© WLNE-TV 2015
