Intense Footage Shows Tourists Fleeing as Boat Erupts in Flames

A dramatic video has captured the heart-stopping moment when a group of vacationers from Nebraska narrowly avoided disaster as their tourist boat erupted in flames near a well-known Florida beach destination.

The frightening event occurred just before 11 a.m. on Thursday. A group of tourists from Omaha had boarded a 40-foot boat named “Size Matters” for a journey from Fort Lauderdale to the Florida Keys, as reported by WSVN.

“We were cruising alongside several other MTI boats, as part of a poker run or gathering,” explained boat owner Peter Fink to the news outlet.

While they were about a quarter mile from Miami Beach’s shoreline, the group began to detect a burning odor emanating from the boat.

The 40-foot vessel, “Size Matters,” caught fire with a group of Nebraska tourists on board, approximately a quarter mile from Miami Beach, Florida, on Thursday, March 12, 2026. (Cristian Valles via Storyful)

“Smelled some smoke and, you know, slowed down, figured out it’s our boat,” Fink said. 

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.