Mother and toddler narrowly escape horror boat explosion as four other passengers remain in induced comas
- A boat exploded at the Hawkesbury River Marina, Brooklyn, about 5pm Sunday
- Eight people with ‘varying burns’ have been rushed to different hospitals
- Two people are critical, four are serious, and two others suffered minor injuries
A mother and her two-year-old child have narrowly escaped injury after a boat they were on suddenly exploded north of Sydney.
Emergency services were called to the Hawkesbury River Marina, at Brooklyn, just after 5pm on Sunday following reports eight people were injured during an explosion near Dangar Island.
A NSW Ambulance spokesperson said two patients were rushed to Westmead Hospital in a critical condition while four people were taken to Royal North Shore Hospital in a serious condition.
Two others were treated for minor injuries by paramedics at the scene.
All four people that were taken to hospital remain in an induced coma.
Eight people have been rushed to hospital after a boat exploded at the Hawkesbury River Marina, at Brooklyn (pictured), just after 5pm on Sunday
Two people are in a critical condition, four people are in a serious condition, and another two suffered minor injuries
Rural Fire Service volunteers treated the patients at the scene until paramedics arrived, with several of the injured reportedly suffering burns to 60 per cent of their bodies.
‘NSW Ambulance along with other emergency services established a triage area to assess all of our patients,’ NSW Ambulance inspector David Morris said in a statement on Sunday evening.
‘Once the area was established, patients were reassessed by NSW Ambulance medical teams.
‘NSW Police provided assistance in escorting these patients to various hospitals with medical teams awaiting their arrival.’
Marine Rescue NSW said there was no one on the 28 foot Bertram when it caught fire, but those injured were believed to be refuelling the vessel at the time.
Two crews from Marine Rescue Hawkesbury began extinguishing the flames before the RFS arrived to put out the fire with assistance of Fire and Rescue NSW.
Fire and Rescue NSW said firefighters were tasked with driving ambulances to allow paramedics to treat patients in transit because of the seriousness of their injuries.
The vessel has sunk in shallow water with a slow fuel leak, with hazardous materials experts called in to contain it.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Firefighters arrived to find the vessel (pictured) alight with smoke billowing metres into the air
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