PWFD: Vessel Fire on Manhasset Bay Kills One

A man died after a vessel caught fire while he was refueling at a dock in Manorhaven Wednesday at 2:48 p.m., authorities said.

Officials say the man and three others were fueling a 33-foot Carver motor boat at the fuel dock at Lamotta’s when an explosion occurred, setting the boat and the dock on fire.

The male victim was hurled into the water from the explosion, sustaining fatal injuries.

Two others were injured, according to Port Washington Fire Department’s Assistant Chief Brian Waterson.

Nassau County detectives say one of the injured was a male employee who came running to help and managed to push the boat away from the dock, setting it adrift. The man suffered burns on his arms and face and was transported to a local hospital where he is listed in stable condition.

The boat then drifted to a nearby dock, setting it on fire and causing damage to two additional boats, according to police.

Boaters pushed the burning vessel away from that dock to prevent the fire from spreading, Waterson said. The boat drifted along Manhasset Bay, ultimately winding up near Shore Road, between Mill Pond Road and the Stop and Shop shopping center.

Smoke covered the air as firefighters worked to put out the fire from the water, with Port Washington Fire Department, four FDNY boats, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Town of North Hempstead on the scene. Also responding were Third Precinct police officers as well as the marine bureau and the arson/bomb Squad from Nassau County.

Port Washington Police closed off Shore Road in the vicinity of the fire. Assisting were Manhasset Fire Department, Williston Park Fire Department, and Roslyn Fire Department.

Officials did not release the names of any of the victims. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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