A Georgia teenager described having a premonition on the morning of a boat explosion that left him with severe burns to about 80% of his body. Isaac Freeman, 18, recounted the incident on Lake Nottely, located roughly 120 miles north of Atlanta, which happened just days before the one-year anniversary of the event.
Freeman told WSB-TV that he had a "weird feeling that day" about going on the lake trip with his family and friends, adding that he was "pretty close to not going." He was on a boat piloted by his father, accompanied by his two brothers and other family members, when the explosion occurred.
According to Freeman, the family had stopped to refuel when the vessel "suddenly exploded and burst into flames." He recalled waking up in the water and being "in shock." At the time of the incident, Freeman was 17 years old and sustained burns to approximately 80% of his body, with "a lot of my nerves at that point were just gone, burnt off."
Freeman's mother, Brittany Miller, described the three months her son spent at Grady Memorial Hospital as "terrifying," noting that it included a medically-induced coma. His father, Matthew Miller, who was operating the boat, stated that the family had stopped to refuel and had turned on the blower fans before shutting off the engine. He explained that the boat was relatively new and he had 25 years of boating experience.
After refueling, the family began to circle around to collect trash from the water when the back of the boat exploded. Miller recalled that Freeman had "82 percent third degree burns" and "second degree on his face and other areas." He emphasized that "We are all alive. That’s the most important thing."
Freeman has undergone more than a dozen surgeries and has more planned. The experience has led him to realize the importance of not taking anything for granted, stating, "There's no promise of tomorrow."
Nearly a year after the explosion, Freeman expressed a mixed outlook about returning to a boat on the lake for this year's Fourth of July weekend, calling it "50/50." He said he would "know until I get there."
