A Fourth of July boat trip on a “haunted” Georgia resort lake — where hundreds have faced untimely deaths spanning decades — again turned tragic Saturday, after an explosion rocked the vessel, injuring all seven on board, including a five-year-old.
Dramatic video shows the boat engulfed in five-foot-high flames, with thick plumes of black smoke emanating into the notorious Lake Lanier sky, just a few feet from the shore.
The 23-foot cabin-cruiser was headed to the Margaritaville resort at Lake Lanier Islands when it exploded around 7 p.m., according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
Music can be heard blaring in the background of the video, with revelers celebrating the holiday on the shore while watching the chaotic scene unfold.
“That’s crazy!” one partyer is heard saying.
“We got the fireworks, we can go home now,” another added sarcastically.
Five people aboard were taken to the hospital with second and third-degree burns, including at least one who had to be airlifted, officials said.
Two others were treated on site for minor injuries, according to Now Habersham.
The passengers ranged in age from 5 to 45.
The explosion happened around 7 p.m. on the 4th of July. Jarka Baranowski via StoryfulAbout 216 people have died in the lake between 1994 and 2022 from boating accidents, drownings and explosions, state data shows.
In May, a Georgia father of five, and triathlete, vanished while kayaking on Lake Lanier, which sits 60 miles north of Atlanta.
After an extensive search, the body of Dustin Valencia, 43, was found in a cove 51 feet below the surface of the lake, police said. Evidence suggested that Valencia had gone kayaking, but his inflatable raft was nowhere to be seen, according to authorities.
Lake Lanier in Georgia has a troubled history of accidents, deaths and disappearances. @the.travel.ksu via StoryfulLanier’s history is an infamous one, with many fearing the man-made body of water is actually “haunted.”
One of the most-repeated legends is the “Lady of the Lake,” supposedly the ghost of a woman whose car crashed into the lake who has since been spotted restlessly wandering at night in a blue dress.
The popular resort destination was built in the 1950s on top of what was once a thriving black community in the early 1900s, Yahoo News reported.
Seven people were injured, including one who was airlifted to hospital. Jarka Baranowski via StoryfulThe town — known as Oscarville — was decimated when its residents were forced to flee following the murder of an 18-year-old white woman in 1912, the outlet explained.
The remains of the town — including buildings and cemeteries — were flooded to create the lake in 1956.
More recently, the body of water has been a location for eerie scenes in the Netflix drama “Ozark,” CNN previously reported.
The cause of Friday’s explosion is under investigation.






