Boat fire tied to mechanical failure

LACONIA — The fire that engulfed and destroyed a 25-foot powerboat on Saturday was caused by a mechanical malfunction, the Laconia Fire Department reported Tuesday.

“We believe it to be due to a mechanical failure,” Fire Chief Kirk Beattie said.

He said the boat’s operator followed all the proper procedures.

“The blower (in the engine compartment that vents any gas fumes) was on," Beattle said. "The boat didn’t start the first time. The second time they tried, when it did start, it exploded."

The fire occurred at a gas dock on the Winnipesaukee Pier in Weirs Beach just before 4 p.m. Saturday. Six people on the 25-foot Formula powerboat were thrown into the water. All were pulled from the water soon afterward. None suffered serious injuries, according to authorities.

The boat was owned by Jason Johnson, 39, of Derry.

The flames burned through the mooring lines and the boat began to drift away from the gas dock and closer to the Weirs Docks, where the MS Mount Washington and a number of pleasure craft were moored. However, two people operating personal watercraft in the area were able to pull the burning craft out into the open part of Weirs Bay, where firefighters were able to extinguish the fire.

Unfortunately the fire destroyed the craft down to the waterline and the engine sank to the bottom of the bay.

Beattie said investigators will be unable to pinpoint exactly what the mechanical failure was because the fire consumed 90 percent of the boat.