Boat catches fires on July 4th at Georgia lake with troubled history
A Fourth of July boat trip on a “haunted” Georgia lake, where hundreds have died, turned tragic Saturday, after an explosion injured all seven on board, including a five-year-old.
Dramatic video shows the boat engulfed in five-foot-high flames, with thick plumes of black smoke emanating into the Lake Lanier sky, just a few feet from the shore.
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The 23-foot cabin-cruiser was headed to the Margaritaville resort at Lake Lanier Islands when it exploded around 7 p.m., according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
Music can be heard blaring in the background of the video, with revelers celebrating the holiday on the shore while watching the chaotic scene unfold.
“That’s crazy!” one partyer is heard saying.
“We got the fireworks, we can go home now,” another added sarcastically.
Five people aboard were taken to the hospital with second and third-degree burns, including at least one who had to be airlifted, officials said. Two others were treated on site for minor injuries, according to Now Habersham.
The passengers ranged in age from 5 to 45.
Lake Lanier, 60 miles north of Atlanta, has a murky history, with many calling the man-made body of water “haunted.”
The popular lake was built in the 1950s on top of what was once a thriving black community in the early 1900s, Yahoo News reported.
The town — known as Oscarville — was decimated when its residents were forced to flee following the murder of an 18-year-old white woman in 1912, the outlet explained.
The remains of the town — including buildings and cemeteries — were flooded to create the lake in 1956.
About 216 people have died in the lake between 1994 and 2022 from boating accidents, drownings and explosions, state data shows.
The cause of Friday’s explosion is under investigation.
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