1 Hurt in Dramatic Sailboat Explosion on Long Island

A 44-year-old Long Island man is intubated in a hospital but lucky to be alive, his brother says, having escaped a sailboat blast in a Suffolk County marina with a few broken bones despite witnesses saying it sounded like a bomb went off.

Scott Murray, of Islip, broke his wrist and ankle when his sailboat exploded in the Islip Canal shortly after 10 p.m. Thursday, his brother said the next morning. A cause is under investigation, but Suffolk County cops responding to the emergency call say they encountered a strong gas smell.

They boarded the vessel, which was secured to the dock, to look for the source and any potential victims.

They did find the source — a leaking propane tank, which they secured — and the victim. Murray was located in the wreckage and carried safely to shore. Hazmat teams and the U.S. Coast Guard, as well as firefighters and marine specialists, assisted in the coordinated response. Murray is expected to survive his injuries.

His brother says he was intubated due to concerns about possible smoke inhalation. Murray was said to be in critical condition as of mid-Friday afternoon, a hospital spokesperson said. No one else was hurt.

Cops say they don’t suspect any criminality in the explosion at this time. Their investigation is ongoing.