No Cause Released On Keyport Boat Explosion Monday Afternoon

KEYPORT, NJ — There was a boat explosion Monday afternoon at Brown’s Point Marina, said Aberdeen Township in a Facebook post. They said a total of three boats caught fire, and all were docked at Brown's Point marina.

This is the second boat to explode in that area this summer: On Aug. 28, a 32-foot motorboat exploded at Raritan Marina in the Laurence Harbor section of Old Bridge, a neighboring town that also has multiple marinas on Raritan Bay.

The Keyport Fire Department said via Facebook the explosion happened at approximately 2:30 p.m. Monday; Keyport Police said they responded to the scene at 2:50 p.m. Brown's Point marina is located on West Front Street at Washington Street.

An eyewitness at the scene said she heard what sounded like an "explosion."

"I was eating at Burlews Seafood and Steak (a waterfront restaurant in Keyport) and heard a loud explosion," said Cliffwood Beach resident Rebecca Satkin. "I went to the deck and saw the large plume of black smoke and went to the dock to see if anyone needed assistance."

The eyewitness said multiple fire departments responded, including Perth Amboy and even New York City. As of 4:09 p.m., the fire appears to be extinguished, she said.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Boat exploded after getting gas in this area in late August

In the Aug. 28 incident, the boat finished refueling and the boat's operator attempted to start the engine. That's when the engine exploded, said police.

The force of the blast ejected him into the water. He was pulled out of Raritan Bay by bystanders. He sustained serious burns to his face and legs and was airlifted to the hospital, but is expected to make a full recovery.

A second man on board with him said they had just fueled up with 75 gallons of gasoline and then: "[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. It was like a bomb went off right next to me," he told News 12 .

"The fire gave me first-degree burns to my stomach. The heat and everything was just outrageous."