First responders gather near the Haulover Marine Center on Saturday, May 9, 2026, after 15 people were injured in a possible boat explosion at the Haulover Sandbar.
A possible boat explosion at Haulover Sandbar near North Miami on Saturday afternoon sent 15 people to the hospital as more than 25 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units work the emergency, authorities say.
Around 12:50 p.m., fire crews received reports of the possible explosion at the sandbar, just west of the Haulover Beach Marina, fire rescue said.
First responders found multiple people injured. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue confirmed 15 people were taken to the hospital. Authorities could not confirm if an explosion did occur or details on what specifically caused the injuries.
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According to dispatch audio on Broadcastify.com, there were multiple burn victims, some of which were in the water and then rescued into fire-crew lifeboats and rushed to the nearby fuel docks to be taken to the hospital. An air-rescue unit was also used.
15 people were injured near the Haulover Marine Center as seen here on Saturday, May 9, 2026, the day of the incident. Milena Malaver [email protected]
Some of the patients were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center and Burn Center, according to the audio. At least one pediatric patient was among the injured.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
This story was originally published May 9, 2026 at 2:43 PM.
Devoun Cetoute
Miami Herald
Miami Herald Cops and Breaking News Reporter Devoun Cetoute covers a plethora of Florida topics, from breaking news to crime patterns. He was on the breaking news team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2022. He’s a graduate of the University of Florida, born and raised in Miami-Dade. Theme parks, movies and cars are on his mind in and out of the office.
