Yacht hit by explosion off N.J. coast A yacht was wracked by an explosion near Sandy Hook off the New Jersey coast Monday, and the U.S. Coast Guard said several of the 21 people aboard were injured. HIGHLANDS, N.J., June 11 (UPI) -- A yacht was wracked by an explosion near Sandy Hook off the New Jersey coast Monday, and the U.S. Coast Guard said several of the 21 people aboard were injured. The Coast Guard said injuries included serious burns, The (Newark) Star-Ledger reported. The blast aboard the "Blind Date" occurred about 4:20 p.m. EDT about 17 miles out to sea, the newspaper said. Gateway National Recreation Area spokesman John Warren said nine people were hurt. There were other reports putting the number of casualties at seven. The Coast Guard had dispatched helicopters and vessels to the scene, and other agencies had sent boats as well. Two Good Samaritan boats in the area also were assisting, The Star-Ledger said. A Coast Guard spokesman told the New York Daily News the cause of the explosion and the extent of the injuries had not been determined, but no one was in the water. "They were reported to be all safe in life rafts," the spokesman said of the passengers and crew. They're still out on the water.