POQUOSON, Va. (WAVY) – 10 On Your Side helped a man recover his boat after it exploded and sunk in the river.
Last Wednesday, fire officials were called to the 100 block of Bennett Road regarding the boat explosion.
Freddie Graef Jr., the owner of the boat, was working in it when the explosion happened.
Graef said the explosion was big enough to blow him off the boat. He went to the hospital with second degree burns to his right hand and right arm as well as his facial hair singed.
Graef later claims that fire from the explosion was a chemical fire and that the fire officials should have used foam to take it out.
Instead, Graef claims that officials used water, which caused the boat to sink into the water after the explosion.
10 On Your Side was able to get in touch with Kevin Pankoke from Pankoke Marine Construction, who happened to be less than a mile from the sunken boat.
Pankoke brought the equipment, and pulled Graef’s boat out of the water for free.
Graef recently bought the boat and said he’s going to do everything he can to fix it up.
