Boat blast survivors recount lucky escape

BOAT blast survivor Karen Weaver admitted today "we're lucky to be alive" after the catamaran she was on with her husband exploded in a ball of flames during a family holiday.

The blast happened as her self-employed husband, David, aged 52, an accomplished sailor, was using a spray adhesive to repair a lining inside their boat in Pwllheli harbour, North Wales.

Mr Weaver managed to rush outside and get himself and his 48-year-old wife, who was sitting on the deck, into a rowing boat which was moored on mud flats alongside their Wandering Star catamaran.

He then dashed back inside the 26ft catamaran to rescue the family's pet parrot Charlie, whose feathers were singed by the blast, that completely wrecked the vessel.

Mr Weaver, of Thomas Street, Leek, suffered severe burns to his arms, legs, face and hands and was today being assessed by medical staff at a specialist hospital at St Helens to decide whether he would need skin grafts.

Mrs Weaver had to be treated for shock before being allowed to return to the family home.

Her husband was initially airlifted to hospital at Bangor before being transferred to a specialist burns unit at a St Helen's hospital.

Mrs Weaver, speaking for the first time, said: "It was horrendous.

"David just came running outside saying 'get off it's going to blow'.

"There was black smoke pouring out of the door. We are very lucky to be alive."

Mrs Weaver's daughter, Hayley, aged 22, who lives at the family home with her 10-week-old daughter Bella, said: "My dad's very qualified. He has been involved with boats since he was a teenager. He is a qualified yacht master."

A witness described seeing a cloud of smoke rise nearly 100m from the harbour before hearing "a massive bang".

A spokesman for Pwllheli inshore lifeboat said the catamaran was moored in a quiet section of the harbour, at the end nearest Morfa Garreg, and was not near any other boats.

The inshore lifeboat picked up Mr and Mrs Weaver, who had managed to get into a dinghy, and brought them to shore at the outer harbour slipway, where they were treated by paramedics.

Firefighters from Pwllheli and Porthmadog were called to the scene and used one main jet to extinguish the fire on the catamaran.

The cause of the fire on Friday August 29 is not yet known and investigations are continuing.