Terrifying moment super yacht loaded with 1,000 rounds of ammo & fireworks erupts into flames and sends rockets flying
TERRIFYING footage has shown the moment a $1 million mega-yacht packed with 1,000 rounds of ammunition and fireworks erupted into flames.
The Admiral – a luxury 100-foot vessel – was docked at Marina del Rey in Los Angeles when the inferno broke out on Wednesday night.
Footage taken at around 8.30 p.m. showed rockets hurtling through the air as flames engulfed the twin-diesel-engine boat.
Thick black smoke could also be seen rising at speed, as terrified passersby watched on.
The yacht’s owner, who has not been identified, told firefighters that roughly 1,000 rounds of ammunition and fireworks were on board at the time.
Two passengers were also inside, but managed to escape uninjured.
“I saw it fully engulfed in flames and like many of us living here, heard an explosion and saw fireworks coming off it, and more flames and then walked down here and captured video of it,” witness Lynn Rose told NBC Los Angeles.
Firefighters raced to put out the flames, battling to control the blaze as fireworks shot from the deck.
“According to boat owner 1,000 rounds of unspent ammunition and fireworks onboard,” the county fire department said in a statement Thursday morning.
“It’s a delicate balance with putting the fire out and not sinking the boat,” Capt. Pono Barnes, of the LA County Fire Department added.
“There are a lot of environmental hazards on the boat fuel oil what have you, and so we’re doing that delicate dance of putting the fire out but not sinking the vessel in the slip.”
The super boat was said to be fueled by a propane source “complicating” firefighting efforts.
A boom barrier was set up to prevent debris, including diesel fuel, from polluting the water below.
But two hours later, the boat was seen leaning to its side, prompting officials to evacuate the area.
The battered and burnt yacht was seen sinking at around 10:30 p.m. as flames continued to sizzle below deck.
The Admiral was fueled with 4,000 gallons of diesel when it went down.
The U.S. Coast Guard carried out an environmental blitz on Thursday, testing air quality and tending to fuel spillage.
“What we do know is that the vessel capacity was 6,000 gallons. We do know that they fueled up with 4,000 gallons of diesel, but we still do not know how much fuel discharged out into the environment and how much remains still in the vessel,” Lt. Cmdr. Omar Borges, of the U.S. Coast Guard said.
The Admiral, built in 1986, featured four cabins and could hold up to 10 guests with three crew members.
It could reach speeds of of 18 knots (20 mph) and was listed for $985,000 in 2018, according to Boat International.
The cause of the fire, which is still unclear, is being investigated.