Heart-stopping footage captures the terrifying moment a group of vacationers from Nebraska narrowly avoided disaster when their tour boat erupted in flames near a well-loved Florida beach.
The dramatic event occurred shortly before 11 a.m. on a Thursday when tourists from Omaha embarked on a 40-foot boat named “Size Matters,” setting off from Fort Lauderdale with the Florida Keys as their destination, as reported by WSVN.
Boat owner Peter Fink recounted to the news outlet, “We were cruising with several other MTI boats, participating in what was akin to a poker run or social gathering.”
While the group navigated roughly a quarter mile from Miami Beach, they detected an ominous burning odor emanating from their vessel.
The boat, “Size Matters,” found itself engulfed in flames as it transported the Nebraska tourists about a quarter mile off Miami Beach’s coast on Thursday, March 12, 2026. (Cristian Valles via Storyful)
“We smelled smoke, slowed down, and realized it was coming from our boat,” Fink explained.
Video captured by witnesses shows the five-engine vessel engulfed in flames, with thick plumes of black smoke rising into the air.
Fink and the group of travelers reportedly began using a fire extinguisher to try to keep the fire from spreading, but ultimately determined they needed to escape the burning vessel and began trying to signal to nearby boaters.
“We waved down a boat actually, shot the fire extinguisher a bit up into the air so they could see the smoke from the fire extinguisher and it kind of caught their attention and they pulled over to us and they were amazing,” passenger Jason James told WSVN.
An Ocean Rescue boat subsequently noticed the flames and rushed to the boat to rescue its passengers, with the family members coming together to lift each other to safety.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue vessels extinguish a fire that broke out on a 40-foot boat named “Size Matters” roughly a quarter mile off the coast of Miami Beach, Florida on Thursday, March 12, 2026. (Miami-Dade Fire Rescue)
“We had our heroes here that saved us all, threw us on the other boat,” passenger Irelynn James reportedly said.
Following the passengers’ evacuation, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units arrived by air and sea to assist in emergency efforts, and later towed the charred remains to the nearby Haulover Inlet.
“Luckily no one fell in, nobody – we didn’t have to jump in, so it’s all good,” Fink told the outlet.
No injuries were reported after a fire broke out on a 40-foot boat named “Size Matters” roughly a quarter mile off the coast of Miami Beach, Florida on Thursday, March 12, 2026. (Miami-Dade Fire Rescue)
Despite the boat being completely destroyed in the blaze, the family’s luggage was reportedly unharmed and recovered from the wreckage, allowing them to continue on with their trip.
“I figured it wasn’t my time to go yet,” James said. “It was their trip and I decided to tag along so I could do something for my birthday in two more days; I’m just trying to get to 20.”
Authorities have not specified the cause of the fire and no injuries were reported, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue confirmed to Fox News Digital.
