Driver Dives From Blazing Speedboat
Jack Ryan suffered burns on his arms and hands and had his eyebrows and hair singed when the speedboat he was driving at Lake Forsyth regatta yesterday exploded into flames while travelling at 60 miles an hour. Ryan, in Spot On, a Corvette-powered hydroplane, was in the middle of a field of nine speedboats when his craft suddenly blazed from stem to stern.
He steered off the course with one hand, unfastened his seat belt with the other, took his foot off’ the accelerator, grabbed his fire extinguisher and dived overboard before the speedboat had stopped.
The flames were roaring from the cockpit of the petrol-engined boat. The incident happened near the west end of the back straight, and the crash boat. Santa Cruise, driven by B. Sullivan, the owner of Spot On, was stationed within 25 yards of the burning craft. Ryan, supported by his life jacket in 25ft of water, and Sullivan used carbon dioxide extinguishers to put out the flames in the cockpit of Spot On. Ryan climbed back on board, removed the engine cowling, and another four extinguishers were emptied before the fire, forward of the cockpit, was put out. Six boats and drivers in all. with fire extinguishers, were on hand before the fire was finally doused. The damaged boat was towed to shore by a crash boat. It was discovered afterwards that a connexion on one of
the two fuel pumps in Spot On had worked loose and flooded the bilges with petrol. Spot On was in the third lap of the race when she burst into flames, and it is believed a hot exhaust pipe ignited petrol vapour, causing the flames.
Ryan, a former New Zealand surf captain, secretary of the New Brighton Power Boat Club, and a popular driver, was given a tremendous cheer from the crowd of about 3000 as he came ashore and was treated by St. John Ambulance men.
He suffered considerable shock. So did his wife and children, who were watching the race. Mrs Ryan helps her husband in his secretarial duties at speedboat regattas. When Ryan last raced at Lake Forsyth, in November, he had another narrow escape from serious injury when his speedboat. Miss Cathie, flipped over. He was trapped underneath with a leg pinned in the cockpit. He managed to struggle free, assisted- by another driver in the race, J. Peverill, who dived from his speedboat to the rescue.
Driver Dives From Blazing Speedboat
Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30711, 29 March 1965, Page 1
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