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The blazing boat, photographed by Mervyn Swinford

A pensioner suffered extensive burns after his powerboat exploded into flames, forcing him to leap for his life into the River Thames.

The 67-year-old, named locally as businessman John Bond-Smith, was in his 28ft Seamaster powerboat close to The Ferryman Inn, Bablockhythe, near Cumnor when it caught fire at about 2.30pm yesterday.

Some residents described hearing an explosion before Mr Bond-Smith, of Standlake, was seen leaping into the water to escape the blaze.

He was grabbed by a local resident and passer-by and hauled to safety on the river bank with burns to his back and arms.

Flames leapt up to 20ft high and a black plume of smoke billowed up to 100ft in the air.

Fire crews battled for more than half an hour to extinguish the blaze and stop other boats moored nearby from catching light.

Bob Thorp, 66, of Thameside Residential Caravan Park, helped Mr Bond-Smith onto the bank.

He said: "He was already in the water so I ran over and helped pull him out.

The arm on his jumper was badly burnt. He was very lucky he could jump into the cold water. I think that saved him from more serious injury.

"It got so hot we couldn't go near the boat after that and we had to get well away from it in case it exploded."

Residents said Mr Bond-Smith, director of West Oxfordshire Motor Auctions in Witney, had moored his boat at the caravan park to visit The Ferryman Inn.

Peter Kelland, manager of The Ferryman Inn, said: "It just went up in flames and there was a plume of black smoke which must have been 100ft in the air. It must have been burning for about half an hour."

Resident Eric Chapman, 77, said: "There was a big explosion and next thing we saw flames shooting into the sky."

Neighbour Mervyn Swinford, 75, said: "He was in shock. His boat went up in flames very quickly and it came very close to some of the other boats."

Four fire crews tackled the blaze but could not prevent the boat from sinking. Jason Crapper, fire officer in charge at the scene, said: "He jumped off the boat into the water when the fire took hold and was helped ashore prior to our arrival."

Mr Bond-Smith also hurled an LPG gas canister into the river to prevent it exploding in the blaze, Mr Crapper added.

A spokesman for South Central Ambulance Service said he was treated at the scene by paramedics from the Thames Valley air ambulance then taken to hospital by road ambulance.

He added: "He was taken to hospital with extensive burns to his back and arms."

Mr Bond-Smith's injuries are not believed to be serious and friends said he expected to be released from the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, soon.

The fire is not being treated as suspicious and is believed to have been caused by a propane gas-powered onboard fridge.

Environment Agency workers were at the river last night testing if any pollutants had escaped into the water but the boat had not been removed.

8:26pm Monday 5th May 2008

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