By James Hohmann
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, July 6, 2008

A 31-year-old Alexandria woman was injured when the motorboat she was riding in exploded, throwing her into the Chesapeake Bay and prompting a nearby boater to dive into the water to save her.

Elizabeth K. Spencer escaped serious injury in what authorities say was an accident caused by a mechanical problem inside the 30-foot boat's engine. The Coast Guard and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources are investigating, authorities said.

According to authorities, Guy D. DeStefano, 40, of Alexandria sensed something was not right as he piloted the boat about 3 p.m. Friday on the South River near the mouth of Selby Bay in the Edgewater area. The reading on his speedometer didn't match his actual speed, he told rescuers, and the throttle wasn't running properly.

Sgt. Ken Turner, a spokesman for the Natural Resources Department, said the engine compartment exploded when DeStefano shifted into neutral, jolting Spencer, who was sleeping on the rear of the boat, into the water. DeStefano jumped into the water for Spencer and was followed by a passing boater, who pulled the pair to safety.

"She was very, very lucky," Turner said.

Four fireboats were needed to extinguish the blaze, said Lt. Frank Fennell, a spokesman for the Anne Arundel County Fire Department.

By the time authorities arrived, both victims were on shore at Holiday Point Marina. Spencer was able to stand and talk with officers, Turner said. She initially refused medical treatment but agreed to be taken to Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis for an evaluation, authorities said.

The engine and the remains of the hull sank in 17 feet of water 1,500 to 2,000 feet away from Hillsmere Shores, a community southeast of Annapolis.

Scott Winslow, a Coast Guard search and rescue specialist, said the location has been marked with an orange buoy and strobe light and a notice was broadcast to mariners to alert them of the wreckage. A private company will remove the wreckage tomorrow.

Turner said it appears that the explosion was accidental and that no charges or citations are expected.

It is unclear where Spencer and DeStefano were coming from or headed to, and they could not be reached to comment yesterday.

Neither was wearing a life jacket when the explosion occurred, and Turner said the incident highlights why boaters should wear floatation devices.

"When something goes wrong, it can go wrong very, very fast, so that you don't have time to react," he said. "If it's always on, it's always there."