‘Like a bomb went off.’ 2 injured in boat explosion at Old Bridge marina, officials say
People living near the Old Bridge waterfront tell News 12 New Jersey that their homes shook and windows rattled.
More Stories
A boat explosion rocked a waterfront community in Middlesex County and left two men injured. Michael Sorger, of Perth Amboy, was one of the men who survived that blast.
The call came in around 3:19 p.m. Wednesday of a boat explosion at the Raritan Marina in Old Bridge.
Sorger said that he and his friend were just going to go fishing, but a stop for fuel turned into a scene out of a movie when their boat exploded, sending them both to the hospital.
"It was like a bomb went off right next to me…We left from Keyport and realized we needed gas...[My friend] went to start the boat, it stuttered a little bit and then I was undoing the rope and he went to start it again and it just blew up,” Sorger said.
Flames could be seen going across the water as thick black smoke filled the sky.
The investigation into what caused the boat to explode and go up in flames continues, but officials say it doesn’t appear to be suspicious.
Neighbor Richard Buffi said it could be heard and felt from at least half a mile down the road.
"I heard a loud explosion, the whole house shook. We didn’t know what it was. The windows rattled and it was really a loud explosion…it was like a shock wave,” Buffi said.
Sorger says he suffered first-degree burns to his stomach and multiple cuts. He says his friend was airlifted to Robert Wood Johnson with burns to his face and legs.
