5 people injured after boat explosion at Lake Mead

Around 2:30 p.m., a 30-foot vessel that had just finished refueling pushed away from the boat launch and exploded, according to a Sunday news release from the Nevada Department of Wildlife. The two men on board were injured.

Three Nevada game wardens and two Nevada game warden trainees provided aid to the injured men, department of wildlife spokesperson Doug Nielsen said. Two wardens and one trainee were treated for smoke inhalation.

One of the boaters was airlifted to University Medical Center, where they remained as of Monday, Nielsen said. The other was taken to St. Rose Dominican Hospital but had since been released.

The cause of the explosion remained unclear as of Monday. Nielsen said what remained of the boat was taken to a secure location so that officials can continue to inspect the debris and determine what happened.

“Since these types of events are rare, the State Fire Marshall was asked to assist with the investigation,” Nielsen said.

“Incidents such as these are incredibly tragic,” department of wildlife Lt. Chris Walther said in the news release. “Thankfully, our Game Wardens were on scene quickly and were able to provide life-saving aid.”

No further information on the explosion was available as of Monday.

Contact Jonah Dylan at jdylan@reviewjournal.com. Follow @TheJonahDylan on Twitter.