Family outing on the water turns dangerous

Saturday morning, George and Nancy Meyer left Apollo Beach with their three children and their spouses, along with six grandchildren, aboard a 33-foot cabin cruiser that hours later would be ripped asunder by an explosion.

Six family members, including George and Nancy Meyer, remained in Tampa General Hospital Sunday as investigators towed the ruined vessel to shore. Four of the grandchildren were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation and minor injuries.

In all, 14 people were aboard the vessel when it left about 9 a.m. Saturday and anchored roughly 100 yards from shore at Pine Key Island later that morning.

Eleven of the family members were aboard when the stern exploded just after noon and flames quickly engulfed the Sea Ray cruiser. Some of the children were watching a movie in a forward cabin below deck.

Hospitalized are: George Meyer, 56, and Nancy Meyer, 54, both of 1021 Apollo Beach Blvd., No. 1; Logan Meyer, 7, and Angela Meyer, 36, both of Denver, Iowa; and Carrie Atherton, 32, and Mike Atherton, 32, both of 4628 Gulf Winds Drive, Lutz.

At the request of the families, no information will be released on the injured, a Tampa General spokeswoman said.

One child on the boat was not injured and three people wading about 30 feet away were not hurt, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said.

"It was an absolute miracle that people survived," said commission spokesman Gary Morse. "It is the worst one I've seen."

The other family members involved were: Brian Meyer, 35, Brook Meyer, 6, and Abry Meyer, 4, all from Denver, Iowa; Kim Sutton, 27, Chris Sutton, 32, and Kaleb Sutton, 2, all of Lutz; and Quinn Atherton, 4, and Maddie Atherton, 7, both of Lutz.

The game commission is investigating the explosion, which left the vessel burned to the waterline. The wreckage was towed from the island, also known as Beer Can Island, to Interbay Mooring in Gibsonton Sunday afternoon.

There wasn't much left of the vessel. The investigation could take weeks.

Morse said George Meyer, who owns the vessel, is an experienced boater.

The explosion was powerful enough to hurl pieces of the boat into the water.

A generator was running at the time and fumes may have built up in the bilge area, commission Maj. Dennis Post said Saturday. Without proper ventilation, fumes can accumulate and cause an explosion.

The cabin cruiser was not overcapacity.

"It's not unusual to have that many people on a boat that size," Post said. "That was a good vessel. We're not sure if it was a mechanical failure or an operator failure. It's too early to tell."