Overview
- The tour boat exploded as it returned from Saona Island on July 27, ripping the deck apart and causing a fire that injured about 24 people and sent roughly 11 to hospital.
- An inquest in Salisbury heard that Abigail Lainton died on July 30 from septic shock caused by septicaemia after pulmonary oedema from first- and second-degree burns that covered about 60% of her body.
- Passengers told investigators they smelled gasoline and felt the vessel was overcrowded before a loud 'pop' was heard and flames spread, though no formal cause has been publicly confirmed.
- Two of Abigail’s siblings, Carley and Bradley, were also treated in hospital; Abigail’s body has been repatriated to Wiltshire and a family GoFundMe has raised more than £26,000.
- Local authorities and tour operators have said investigations are ongoing and the case could prompt closer scrutiny of safety standards for short tourist boat trips in the Saona Island area.