{"id":642,"date":"2026-05-19T08:33:31","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T08:33:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?p=642"},"modified":"2026-05-19T08:33:31","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T08:33:31","slug":"family-thanks-rescuers-who-saved-their-lives-after-memorial-day-boat-explosion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?p=642","title":{"rendered":"Family thanks rescuers who saved their lives after Memorial Day boat explosion"},"content":{"rendered":"<article>\n<p>FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.  \u2014 Cassandra Rivera knows all about the importance of Boating Safety Week. <\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?p=640\">Orlando Gutierrez-Boronat discusses ongoing tensions between US, Cuba<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Rivera was extremely grateful as she, her two young boys and her husband shook the hands of the first responders who saved their lives nearly a year ago. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI never thought that we would be here today,\u201d she said. \u201cMy little boys made it out, I still have my husband.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her two boys, 8-year-old Anthony and 6-year-old Kash, were aboard a boat when it burst into flames last Memorial Day weekend on the Intracoastal Waterway in Fort Lauderdale. <\/p>\n<p>The fireball was seen from shore as a total of 11 people were injured, including one person who later died as a result of their injuries. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe last thing I think I heard is \u2018I smell fuel, I smell fuel\u2019 and a ball of fire just erupted on the boat,\u201d Rivera said. <\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?p=638\">Sunrise police investigate armed robbery<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The blast resulted in serious burns to both of her boys.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe were told to plan multiple funerals for our children,\u201d Rivera said. <\/p>\n<p>But she also said the quick response from crews on the water, Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue and police that rushed the victims to area hospitals are why she and her family are still alive. <\/p>\n<p>Kash said he now wants to follow in the footsteps of the superheroes who saved so many lives that day, including his very own.<\/p>\n<p>Officials said fuel vapors are one of the biggest risks when boating and that when going through your checklist before heading out, if something doesn\u2019t seem right, make sure to find the problem and get it fixed. <\/p>\n<p>Rivera has written a children\u2019s book, \u201cWhen the Boat Met a Flame\u201d which she said was a way for her to recover for her trauma.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?p=636\">Woman accused of Miami-Dade murder; cops say other woman pepper-sprayed dying victim<\/a><\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\ud83c\udfe0 News From Your Neighborhood<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>Latest headlines from:<\/div>\n<div>\nMiami-Dade<br \/>\nBroward<br \/>\nFlorida Keys<\/p>\n<details>\n<summary><span>Cities<\/span><span>\u25be<\/span><\/summary>\n<div>\n<div>\nMiami<br \/>\nFort Lauderdale<br \/>\nCoral Springs<br \/>\nDavie<br \/>\nDeerfield Beach<br \/>\nDoral<br \/>\nHialeah<br \/>\nHollywood<br \/>\nHomestead<br \/>\nLauderhill<br \/>\nMiami Beach<br \/>\nMiami Gardens<br \/>\nMiramar<br \/>\nPembroke Pines<br \/>\nPlantation<br \/>\nPompano Beach<br \/>\nSunrise<br \/>\nTamarac\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cassandra Rivera knows all about the importance of Boating Safety Week. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":641,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-642","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - 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