A 30-foot ship totally consumed in flames when its engine blew in an Illinois dock on Saturday, killing all 17 persons on board, according to shocking footage.
When the ship detonated at the Spring Brook Marina in Seneca, Illinois, at about 4.26 p.m., numerous families were on board, preparing to get ready to go out on the lake, according to the Illinois State Conservation Police.
According to ABC 7, the ship was having engine troubles at the time and headed to the marina to refuel.
But after refueling, the families tried to restart the engine, when there was an explosion, according to Sgt. Phillip Wire.
In the aftermath, 13 people on board the ship were transported to local hospitals – and another was airlifted to an area hospital with ‘serious injuries.’
A marina employee working in the area was also injured, but suffered non-life threatening injuries.
The victims ranged in age from ‘youths’ to adults, ABC 7 reports.
Photos from Jeanette Hudson, an aerial photographer for the network, show the ship was still submerged as of Saturday night.
Both local and state agencies responded to the scene to help, including the Seneca Police Department, the Seneca Fire Department, the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office and the Illinois State Police.
But the ship remained submerged over night, as officers worked to contain a fuel spill. They now plan to be back at the scene on Sunday to continue to remove the remains of the boat.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is now investigating the incident.