Rider lucky to escape as jet ski explodes
Mangled plastic was all that remained of a jet ski after an explosion near Bendigo at the weekend.
A 23-year-old Bendigo man was taken to hospital on Saturday with a broken ankle and minor burns after the jet ski blew up while he was trying to start the vessel on Lake Eppalock.
The man was pulled from water by three men who heard the explosion and ran towards the water, where they found the injured man calling for help.
Police said the jet ski had just been serviced and they would make further inquiries.
The Water Police from Melbourne are leading the investigation.
Bendigo police’s Senior Constable Todd Deary, who was at the scene on Saturday, said the jet ski was destroyed in the explosion.
“It’s mainly melted,” he said.
“It’s just a blob of fibreglass.”
Senior Constable Deary said the man and his girlfriend arrived at Lake Eppalock about 11am with their jet ski.
“The young fella has put it into the water and he’s been attempting to start the jet ski for about 15 minutes.
“His girlfriend’s gone back to sit in the car because it’s too cold and then she’s heard an explosion and the jet ski has just burst into flames.
“It’s thrown him off the jet ski and into the water.
“He has a severely damaged right ankle which I suspect is going to cause problems for him.”
Senior Constable Deary said three strangers had pulled the man from the water and called emergency services.
“They’ve heard the explosion from a way away, and have just come running to see what it was,” he said.
“And he’s yelling out in the water, ‘Get an ambulance’.
“They’ve dragged him in and just parked him on the bank here and made him as comfortable as they could until an ambulance arrived.”
Senior Constable Deary said it was fortunate no one else had been injured during the incident.
By Hannah Knight
