Man killed in welding explosion while working on boat at Kemah business

KEMAH, Texas (KTRK) -- A 57-year-old man was killed in an accidental welding explosion while working on a boat at a Kemah business on Monday.

According to the Galveston County Sheriff's Office, the blast happened at Gulf Coast Trawl Doors in the 900 block of Lawrence Road. Witnesses say the shop owner was welding on a gas tank of a small off-shore boat at the time of the accident.

Deputies found the man with severe burns. He was taken to Clear Lake Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.

Friends and family are devastated.

"He did so much for everybody around here. He always had such a positive attitude," said Chandler Randall, a family friend. "It really doesn't make a lot of sense, that's his life work. As much as I hate to say it, he went out doing what he loved."

The sheriff's office says no foul play is suspected.

OSHA sent representatives to the scene and will be conducting a separate investigation.

The man's name has not been released.