SACO — A Saco man was treated for burns and a broken hip after the boat he was working on exploded.

Saco Deputy Fire Chief David Pendleton said the call came in around 8:45 Monday morning to Saco Yacht Club.

Marc Lamothe, 53, was working on his 21-foot boat in the club’s parking lot, according to a press release from Maine Department of Public Safety Spokesman Steve McCausland. Fire investigators from the State Fire Marshal’s Office said Lamothe was attempting to loosen a hose to the boat’s fish live well with an open flame, which apparently ignited gasoline fumes, according to McCausland.

Pendleton said a yacht club member saw debris flying up in the air, but while everything else had blown out, Lamothe was “miraculously” still in the boat. Lamothe was quickly removed from the boat and taken to Maine Medical Center, said Pendleton.

Pendleton cautioned boat owners to avoid open flames and sparks in fumes are presents in boats. He encourages boat owners to use a bilge blower to ventilate the boat and blow out fumes, and to make sure the bilge blower has been operating for the proper amount of time before using an open flame.

Lamothe runs Keepers Charters, offering fishing and sight-seeing excursions. According to the company’s website, Lamothe has been fishing the waters of Saco Bay for more than 40 years.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.

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