A man has been left with burns to 40% of his body after a terrifying boat explosion at Lake Macquarie last night.
Emergency services rushed to Fennell Bay around 6pm to find the 30-foot cruiser engulfed in flames which reached up to 15-meters and even jumped to trees on the shore.
The vessel was believed to be carrying a large amount of diesel fuel at the time.
It was a complicated operation for firefighters who had to float booms around the boat to protect the environment and attack the flames from their own boat.
Once the blaze was extinguished the drifting cruiser was able to be fully secured.
Police attended the scene and are not treating the incident as suspicious.
The only person aboard at the time of the explosion was a 64-year-old man who suffered serious burns to his legs and torso, as well as suspected burns to his airways.
He was taken to the John Hunter Hospital and later transferred to the burns unit at the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney where he remains for further treatment.