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Boys Hear Explosion, Jump From Grandfather's Burning Boat

LOVELAND, Colo. (CBS4) - Three boys from Fort Lupton were getting ready to go boating with their grandfather on Friday evening when the vessel burst into flames.

They jumped into the water at Boyd Lake State Park to avoid the fire.

"I got burned. I was on the boat and it exploded while we were on it," said 7-year old Cayden Johns. He suffered second degree burns to his fingers and right leg. His brother was also injured.

Boat Fire Loveland Fire Rescue Authority's Facebook)
A boat fire at Boyd Lake State Park (credit: Loveland Fire Rescue)

The fire happened shortly after their grandfather, Lynn Johns, put his boat in the water. He yelled to the boys to jump.

"The middle of the boat, the insides sort of popped out. And the flames started coming out of it," said the third boy, a friend of the two.

Though the boys and Johns were safe, the marina -- with huge fuel tanks -- was in danger.

Marina employee Steve Deines acted quickly. Video posted on Facebook shows him on a dinghy coming around to bump into Johns' boat, pushing it away. Deines then leaped to avoid the burning boat.

"I got to keep it away from those tanks. I get in the dinghy, I had no other way, it was in flames and it was hot," Deines said.

Witness Nancy Shephard said, "He jumped and dove into the water like a James Bond movie."

Miraculously, the dinghy without a pilot curled back to the marina, missing a boat. Deines used the dinghy a second time to ram the drifting, burning boat to the shore for good.

"Yeah I came back full throttle," said Deines.

charred boat
(credit: CBS)

His quick thinking is credited with saving the marina, including 125 boats.

The owner of the burning boat said he has no idea what caused the fire, and that his motor was a new one.

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