Teenager airlifted to hospital and three more injured in boat explosion

The four onboard the boat all suffered burns injuries in the gas explosion at 7.30am this morning near to The Angel Inn in Severn Side, Stourport-on-Severn.

Malcolm Dawson, 65, who lives on Seven Side low basin, said he had got up around 7.30am and heard a loud explosion.

"I looked out of my window and saw the blue smoke around the boat so I knew that something was very wrong," he said.

"I immediately rushed out into the garden and saw the two young men on the pontoon.

"I called to them and asked if they were alright but they shouted back 'no we need help'.

"I grabbed my phone and called for the emergency services and waited for them to arrive so I could guide them in."

Mr Dawson said they had 'been in a bad way'.

"It was a very loud explosion. I have never heard a bomb go off but I'm imagine that that is what it would be like."

Canal and River Trust customer services supervisor Mark Mills, who was in charge of the operation to remove the boat from the pontoon to a secure mooring.

He said a five-strong team had been involved in moving the boat from the pontoon where the explosion took place to a say mooring behind the amusement park.

He said it had taken around a hour to transfer the boat to the safe location.

"There are still possessions belonging to the owners on the boat and at the moment they are exposed," he said.

"We moved the boat to the secure basin. It will remain there if the fire brigade want to carry out further investigations or until the owners are ready to claim it back."

Claire Brown, a West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman, said: "When crews arrived they found a boat which had reportedly suffered a gas explosion on board.

"There were four people on board the boat at the time of the explosion. A teenage boy, believed to be 17-years-old, suffered the most serious injuries with significant burns to his hands and face. The team of ambulance staff immediately administered pain relief to help stabilise his condition before applying cooling burns dressings to his wounds. The teen was then airlifted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham for specialist burns care. The doctor travelled on board the helicopter.

"A man in his 60s sustained superficial flash burns to his face as well as a neck injury. He was immobilised on a scoop stretcher and carried off the boat to an awaiting ambulance which then conveyed him to Worcester Royal Hospital.

"A woman in her 60s had partial thickness burns to her hands whilst a man in his 20s had sustained superficial burns to his arms and neck. Both were given burns care on scene by ambulance staff before being taken to Worcester Royal Hospital for further treatment."