CHEROKEE COUNTY, Okla. (KFSM) — A man who was trying to start a boat at Lake Tenkiller was injured when the engine compartment sparked and exploded, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP).
A 12-year-old, also at the scene, was hurt.
It happened Sunday (July 2) afternoon on Lake Tenkiller, at the Chicken Creek Park boat ramp, in Cherokee County.
The vessel was a 21-foot 1998 Tahoe Navigator.
OHP states that the operator, Greg Bieker, 34, of Barling, was taken by Cherokee Nation EMS to Hillcrest Hospital in Tulsa and was admitted with burn injuries to his back and leg.
The 12-year-old, also from Barling, was transported to the same hospital because he was burned on his hand and leg. The boy was treated and released.
Agencies that assisted in the rescue included Cookson and Chicken Creek Fire Departments, and the Corps of Engineers Rangers.
The cause of the accident is under investigation.
