Boat fire: Did gas go in wrong chamber?

By Gordon Woodworth, Chronicle News Editor

Joseph Sheehan, 46, remained in critical condition Tuesday morning at Westchester Medical Center in the aftermath of the explosion just before 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 1, that destroyed a 28-foot Chaparral boat at the dock at Fischer’s Marina on the east shore of Lake George.

Mr. Sheehan, 46, of Manhattan was severely burned in the accident. He had brought the boat in for gas.

“It appears as though the dock attendant may have been directed to put the gas into the wrong cavity of the boat.” And we know that because he pumped 15 gallons, and there wasn’t 15 gallons of fuel in the gas tank, which was not breached as a result of the explosion,” Warren County Sheriff Lieutenant Steve Stockdale told The Chronicle Tuesday evening.

Lt. Stockdale also noted that the driver of the boat was not the owner of the boat.

The Warren County Sheriff’s Office initial report said, “Refueling had just been completed by the dockhand, 16 year old Hunter J. Tyminski of Hudson Falls.

“When Sheehan started the ignition, there was an explosion that resulted in Mr. Sheehan being thrown out of the vessel and into the lake several feet away from the boat, and Tyminski was knocked down onto the dock.”

The 16-year-old Mr. Tyminski is recovering from 2nd-degree burns to his ears, 1st- and 2nd-degree burns to his face, and 1st-degree burns to his hands.

He wasn’t able to join his junior classmates for the first day of school at Hudson Falls High School Tuesday.

Lieutenant Stockdale earlier Tuesday said his office is still awaiting the final written report on cause and origin of the fire. The Glens Falls Fire Department handles such investigations for the county.

Lt. Stockdale said, “Because of the seriousness of the injuries to the boat operator, we have asked for a full breakdown…We think there was a human error element, but we will have more information when the report is issued.”

He said that could be as soon as later this week.

The Chronicle spoke Tuesday with Hunter Tyminski, and with some of the first responders to the fire.

Hunter, the son of Tom and Pam Tyminski, spoke to The Chronicle by phone from his sister Kindra’s house.

He was finishing up his first summer at the Kattskill Bay marina when Mr. Sheehan pulled up to the dock just before 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8.

“He pulled up backwards and the tank was on the other side of the boat, so I had to get on the swimming platform to fill the tank,” Hunter said.

“I put in $50 worth, about 15 gallons, and after I filled it I rung in the credit card and brought him the receipt.

“I untied him, and as soon as he turned the key to start his boat, the whole thing just blew up.”

He said he’s glad he had a long-sleeve shirt on that day. “That saved my arms from being severely burned,” Hunter said.

“I was thrown back and hit the dock, and he was thrown a good 30 feet from his boat….My face and hands were burning really bad, but I had some adrenaline going, and I didn’t really feel it until the ambulance got there.”

Hunter said his boss, marina owner Nicky Cutro, “saw the whole thing happen. He actually jumped on the boat with a fire extinguisher and almost had the fire out before it got going again.

“He then pushed it off the dock and got in another boat and pushed it away from the docks and the other boats.”

Mr. Cutro had not responded to a message seeking comment by press time.

Dan Davies, first assistant chief of the North Queensbury Fire Department, was jogging down Pilot Knob Road when the call came in at 6:52 p.m. Luckily, he was picked up by another assistant chief, Frank DeNardo, Jr., who was responding to the call.

“Paramedic Dave Nowak arrived about two minutes before me and called for a helicopter to get the gentleman who was really burned to Westchester [burn center],” Mr. Davies said.

“Dave got there just as the boat was being pushed off the gas dock. It’s a good thing Nicky pushed it off or potentially we could have lost the whole marina.”

Mr. Davies said a lot of newer boats have fire suppression systems, but North Queensbury Fire Chief Jeff Baertschi said, “It wouldn’t have made a difference.”

Chief Baertschi said he was on his own boat almost to Basin Bay when he got the call. He hurried to the fireboat that is docked in Cleverdale, and headed to the scene.

Mr. Davies said Mr. Sheehan was put into a Stokes stretcher basket by two firemen in the water, “and three of us on shore lifted him up.

“He was out of the water within five minutes of us arriving. They put some narcotics into him and got him to the helicopter.”

“Lake George Fire and Bolton Fire also responded with their fire boats,” he said.

“Lake George EMS transported the boy to Glens Falls Hospital. Lake George Park Commission was also on the scene.”

North Queensbury EMS transported Mr. Sheehan to the West Glens Falls Fire Department, where a Lifenet helicopter took him to Westchester Medical Center, Mr. Nowak said.

A professional paramedic who lives in Rotterdam and works for the North Queensbury Rescue Squad, Mr. Nowak praised the other responders.

“They train all year-round for something like that,” he said. “All of that training paid off. They knew exactly what to do.”

Chief Baertschi, who said he has been a fireman for 35 years, said, “Our response was right on cue, and the mutual aid from Bolton and Lake George made a huge difference.

“The boat was fiberglass, and there’s vinyl and such an intense fuel load, that being able to knock it down with big water was key…We had three fire boats and a truck on shore with firemen in the water with hoses.

“I’m very happy with our own response and very pleased with the mutual aid response as well.

“And we were lucky to have the rock pile nearby where Nicky pushed the boat. The last thing we want to do is let the boat sink. Nicky put it on a shoal, and we filled the bilge with enough water to sink it onto the rock pile.”

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