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One woman and a child were both airlifted to Maryland hospitals over the weekend when their boat went up in flames in the Eastern Bay off Romancoke Pier in Queen Anne's County when an engine malfunctioned, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.
The fire was a result of a malfunction of the fuel system within the inboard/outboard motor to the vessel, officials said. Oxygen was then introduced, which created a flash fire, subsequently burning six occupants on board.
Two were flown to Johns Hopkins Bayview by a Maryland State Police helicopter for their burn injuries, according to the fire marshal. A third was transported by ground to the Johns Hopkins Bayview Burn Center for treatment.
It took a total of 30 firefighters from the United Communities Volunteer Fire Department approximately an hour to extinguish the fire, which caused an estimated $10,000 in damage.
The additional three occupants were evaluated by paramedics and refused treatment. One woman remains in stable condition at the John Hopkins Burn Center, while the man and child have since been released after being treated at the hospital.
"What started off as a wonderful day with our family of (six) ended very tragically," Kimberly Claxton Korman posted on Facebook. "A late Father's Day boat ride turned into a nightmare. Our boat exploded and (five) of the (six) of us got burned.
Zane Korman & I took a ride together in a helicopter and I was admitted.
"Please hug your family a little tighter tonight and fix any broken relationships- life is fragile and family is everything. GOD is SOOOO GOOD!!!! This could have been so much worse. Asking for healing prayers and that he takes care of my husband, Lawrence LeCompte Korman, and our (four) kids."
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