Good Samaritan jumps into action

I got the burning boat pushed away using the water pressure and kept it from lighting up the second boat. Then I untied it and pushed it further out into the channel. I stayed on it, hosing it down until fire crews arrived.”

Colton Anderson of Leo's Landing

Colton brought in his boat with rubber fenders, sprayed it down again, and got it pushed back into the channel. He tied a line to it and kept it from crashing into another boat. He was instrumental in stopping this from becoming a much bigger disaster.”

Todd Siewert

Leo's Landing
137 Front St. S.
Prescott, WI 54021
View larger map

PRESCOTT, Wis. — A quiet afternoon on the water turned chaotic Saturday when a boat exploded at the fuel dock at Miss-Croix Yacht Harbor, sending all eleven people on board into the Mississippi River and injuring several.
The blast occurred around midday, just as the summer crowd had begun to settle in at the popular harbor located where the Mississippi and St. Croix rivers meet. Witnesses described a sudden, thunderous boom, followed by screams and flames that engulfed the boat within minutes.
“Preliminary investigation, vessel was at the Miss Croix Yacht Harbor fuel dock. Some sort of explosion occurred. Multiple individuals were ejected into the river, and some were able to get off onto the dock,” said Prescott Police Chief Eric Michaels. “All patients were transported via ambulance or personal vehicles to an area hospital. We are unsure of the condition of the patients. This is an ongoing investigation, and any further inquiries should be directed to the Wisconsin DNR who is heading this investigation.”
According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Report, which is now leading the case, the operator of the vessel had attempted to start the boat’s engine multiple times while docked for refueling. On the third attempt, the engine exploded. The force of the blast hurled everyone on board into the river.
Eight of the eleven passengers were treated at a local hospital for injuries, including burns. No fatalities were reported, and all passengers have been accounted for. The names and ages of those on board have not yet been released.
Kaily Burns, who was nearby waiting for the Prescott drawbridge to raise, witnessed the entire scene unfold.
“This weekend, I witnessed something truly shocking. We were waiting for the bridge to raise when we suddenly heard a loud boom, it sounded like a firework at first,” Burns wrote in a statement. “Moments later, we heard screaming and turned to see people jumping from a burning boat. The boat was at the gas dock and was completely engulfed in flames within minutes.”
“It was chaos. Water patrol and emergency services were taking longer to arrive than expected, and the situation was escalating quickly. Then, we saw a Good Samaritan pull up next to the burning boat and bravely try to push it away from the dock. He even attempted to help extinguish the flames by spraying it with his boat’s engine. It was an incredible act of courage in such a dangerous moment.”
That Good Samaritan, identified as Colton Anderson, was working at Leo’s Landing when boaters nearby alerted him to the fire.
“We own Leo's Landing. So, I was working up there when boaters down south heard the explosion and came to get me,” Anderson said. “Nobody was responding, and you’ve got to move instantly when it’s something like this. I got into emergency mode, jumped in my boat, and shot down there.”
“They had pushed the burning boat off the gas dock like they should have, but the wind blew it right back. It was up against another boat, and that one was about to catch fire too. The dock was burning. So, I tied off, trimmed up, and used the engine spray to knock the flames down. I got the burning boat pushed away using the water pressure and kept it from lighting up the second boat. Then I untied it and pushed it further out into the channel. I stayed on it, hosing it down until fire crews arrived.”
Eyewitness Todd Siewert also rushed to the scene. He had just parked near the marina when the explosion happened.
“I was five steps from the gangway when it went off,” Siewert said. “I saw debris fly into the air. I ran to the gas dock and saw the boat had exploded. People were screaming, yelling, ‘Get off the boat.’ Two girls were shouting for their mom. It was chaos.”
Moments later, the woman they were calling for appeared through a forward porthole, suffering burns but alive. “She came out of the hatch onto the bow and got onto the gas dock,” Siewert said. “They told her to jump in the water to cool her burns. A man asked for my shirt. I gave it to him. They soaked it and used it on her skin to keep her cool.”
Worried that the boat could explode again, Siewert yelled for people to clear the dock. “The fire was in the engine compartment. I was thinking if that goes, it’s going to be catastrophic. The dock needed to be cleared fast.”
Within 45 seconds, the boat was engulfed in flames. “It went up quick. I spoke to the captain afterward. He was shaken. Said he had run the blower and pumped the throttle to start it, and then it blew. He had some minor scratches on his back from debris.”
As the lines holding the burning vessel burned through, the boat drifted away from the dock, only to circle back upstream in the river’s current. That’s when Colton Anderson returned in his utility boat.
“It started coming back toward the gas dock,” Siewert recalled. “Colton brought in his boat with rubber fenders, sprayed it down again, and got it pushed back into the channel. He tied a line to it and kept it from crashing into another boat. He was instrumental in stopping this from becoming a much bigger disaster.”
By the time emergency crews arrived, the fire had been knocked down and the immediate threat reduced, largely thanks to fast action by civilians on the scene.
The DNR confirmed the fire was fully extinguished shortly after their arrival. No environmental hazards, such as fuel spills, were detected during the initial cleanup.
The cause of the explosion remains under investigation. Officials have not confirmed whether it was a mechanical malfunction, fuel vapor ignition, or another factor. Local accounts suggest the operator followed proper procedures before starting the engine.
Despite the dramatic nature of the event, there was relief that all passengers survived. Still, several remain hospitalized with burn injuries. One woman suffered second- and third-degree burns. Others, including the boat’s captain, had only minor injuries.
“I lived in Wayzata, MN but my parents have had their boat at Miss Croix the last 10 years,” Burns added. “Growing up on Lake Minnetonka and visiting Prescott the last decade, I have never witnessed something like this before.”
“I’ve been boating my whole life, over 50 years, and I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Siewert. “You hear a boom, see debris flying, then realize people are in the water and a boat is on fire. It shakes you. You just try to help however you can.”
The Miss-Croix Yacht Harbor remains open. However, the fuel dock where the explosion occurred has been closed pending repairs and further investigation. Boaters are urged to follow refueling safety protocols and report any mechanical issues immediately.
As of Monday afternoon, the DNR had not released further updates on the condition of the injured. The investigation continues.