By William A. Weathers
and Andrea Uhde
The Cincinnati Enquirer

ADDYSTON - An explosion and fire at the Catalina Harbour marina Wednesday night injured one boat owner and destroyed three boats.

Emergency personnel battle a blaze from both the dock and the water as three boats burn at Catalina Harbour in Addyston on Wednesday evening. (Steven M. Herppich photo) | ZOOM |

Sue Webster, 66, of Springdale, was on a nearby boat about 7 p.m. when she heard an explosion.

When she looked toward the noise she saw "just flames all over and black, black smoke."

The injured boat owner, a retiree in his 70s, made it off his burning boat under his own power.

"He came walking out of his boat," Webster said. "He had burns on his face and arms. His mustache was burned off."

Steve Todd, co-owner of the marina on Muddy Creek, which feeds into the Ohio River, was about 300 feet from the houseboat went it exploded. He said the injured man walked off the burning boat quietly and in shock.

There were about 10 people on the marina dock at the time, and several helped walk the man up the dock to land, where they awaited rescue personnel, Webster said. The injured man was taken to University Hospital, where he was being treated late Wednesday. His name and condition were not released.

"When we pulled out of the firehouse, we saw the smoke," said Chief Doug Moore of the Cleves Fire Department, which provides service for Addyston.

Moore said he was told the fire started while the injured boat owner was working on the engine of his houseboat, named "This Is It."

After the houseboat exploded, the neighboring houseboat blew up, he said. A third boat, a smaller runabout, was also destroyed.

Todd said he grabbed a 2-inch water hose and fire extinguishers and tried to douse the blaze before firefighters arrived.

Webster said her husband, Neil, helped move several boats away from the fire.

Firefighters from the Cincinnati Fire Department, with pumpers and a fire rescue boat, along with firefighters from the Miami Township and Whitewater Township fire departments, helped extinguish the blaze.

No damage estimate was immediately available. The fire also destroyed a portion of the dock.

E-mail bweathers@enquirer.com and auhde@enquirer.com