Boat explodes at fuel station on Lake of the Ozarks; 3 injured, Missouri cops say

Three people were injured Sunday when a boat exploded on Lake of the Ozarks, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The explosion happened around 12:30 p.m. in Camden County. Two people on the boat were injured, along with a gas station employee, officials said.

The 33-foot boat had just refilled and when Dennis Kiely, 55, started the second engine, the boat exploded. Kiely was thrown into the water, state officials said.

A second passenger on the boat, 52-year-old Debra Kiely, remained on the boat but was seriously injured, according to highway patrol.

The gas station employee, 20-year-old Megan Bartels, had minor injuries following the blast.

The boat floated away and burned to the waterline, the highway patrol reported. Pictures and video posted on social media show heavy, dark smoke from the explosion.

The Kielys were flown to different hospitals and Bartels drove herself to a nearby hospital.

A 53-year-old man died and three others were injured in a separate boat explosion on Lake of the Ozarks in May, according to the Associated Press.

This story was originally published August 17, 2020 at 7:05 AM with the headline "Boat explodes at fuel station on Lake of the Ozarks; 3 injured, Missouri cops say."