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2 Teens Hurt When Watercraft Explodes In Clearwater

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TBO.com

Published: August 24, 2008

Two teens were injured Sunday afternoon on the Intracoastal Waterway in Clearwater when the personal watercraft they were riding exploded, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said.

Tiffany M. Davis, 16, and Heather N. Davis, 19, both of Clearwater, were taken by ambulance to Morton Plant Hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, deputies said.

The teens launched the 1999 Polaris personal watercraft near the Seminole Boat Ramp in Clearwater about 12:30 p.m. A patrol deputy with the sheriff's marine unit stopped the watercraft at marker No. 17, just north of the Memorial Causeway Bridge, because the teens were not wearing lifejackets, the sheriff's office said.

After they were given a citation, the teens tried to re-start the personal watercraft. The deputy tried to help them by steadying the teens' watercraft, but the vessel exploded without warning, the sheriff's office said.

The blast knocked the teens into the water. The deputy was shaken but not injured. He managed to pull the teens on his patrol boat as the burning personal watercraft drifted nearby, the sheriff's office said. The 23-foot patrol boat was not damaged in the explosion.

The U.S. Coast Guard was notified of the incident and deputies continue to investigate. The personal watercraft eventually sunk near the edge of the channel and it did not appear to be leaking fuel, the sheriff's office said.

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