A boat exploded on Belleville Lake in Wayne County, and all five people on board at the time survived.
The destruction of the boat occurred Saturday (July 1), around 12 p.m.
“I didn’t have time to think or do anything as I just reacted,” said Judy Brothers, DNR staff at the Belleville Lake East Boat Launch on Huron River Drive.
Brothers said one moment, five people were relaxing on a boat about 10 feet from the dock, and the next moment the afternoon took a turn for the worse.
“I heard an explosion, so I looked out the window and saw the fire,” Brothers said.
She called 911 while the five people were still on the boat.
“They did have life jackets, the two that said they couldn’t swim, and me and other people down there (at the launch) were just telling them to get off the boat,” Brothers said. “They finally jumped in, and within seconds that boat just blew. It goes through my brain sometimes to think if they didn’t make it out, one of them was left on that boat when it blew like that.”
All five made it back to the dock, shaken up but safe.
Days later, Brothers supervisor, Traci Sincock, was extremely proud and appreciative.
“You never know what people’s lives you touch,” said Sincock. “We’re really, really proud of her actions.”
Sincock said Brothers were hired to check in visitors and don’t have specialized emergency training.
“I think no one ever really understood, you know, they never really think about how they’re going to react in an emergency,” Sincock said to Brothers. “They just act and your (Brothers’) innate feeling about what you needed to do; you did great.”
