By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-08-11 13:16:10 | Updated at 2026-08-11 13:25:27
20 minutes ago
Tourists were crammed on to an 'overpacked' boat that reeked of petrol before it exploded off the coast of the Caribbean island killing a British teenage girl, witnesses have claimed.
Abbie Lainton, 16, from Swindon, Wiltshire, was enjoying a family holiday on July 27 in the Dominican Republic when a 35-person boat trip turned fatal.
The cheerleading coach died after suffering severe burns when the vessel became engulfed in flames and thick smoke.
Now witnesses have said the vessel 'didn’t feel safe' from the beginning, recounting how it 'smelled like gasoline' and was 'over-packed'.
Despite the concerns of the tourists, they were allegedly reassured by staff the boat was safe, the witnesses said.
Gisell Segovia, 22, and her husband Navin Torres, 35, saw Abbie badly wounded after the explosion.
The couple had come on holiday to celebrate Navin's birthday, but ended up injured and traumatised following the incident.
The vessel was bringing holidaymakers back to the resort town of Bayahibe from a trip to the popular Saona Island, a tropical idyll in the Cotubanama National Park.
Abbie Lainton, from Swindon, Wiltshire, is understood to have died in a boat accident while she was away with her family
The tourist boat was returning from the Saona Island when a 'pop' was heard before it accelerated and then burst into flames
Ms Segovia told the Sun: 'We told the captain it smelled like gasoline and he was like, "Oh, no, no, it’s fine".
'And it was a lot of people. I feel like they overpacked us.'
She said it 'didn’t feel safe' to have so many tourists on such a small vessel for so long, adding: 'It could last a five-minute ride, but I think it was around 30 minutes.'
Ms Segovia also said 'a lot of people didn’t have their life jackets buckled on right'.
Navin described how the passengers heard a terrifying 'pop' after the boat suddenly sped up to 'keep up with the other boats'.
Then the vessel suddenly exploded.
Mr Torres said: 'The front of the boat exploded. It took me a couple of seconds to analyse what was going on [when] the fire started spreading towards me and my wife.'
Ms Segovia described people being thrown from their seats with broken pieces of the boat 'flying everywhere'.
She said she remembered Abbie because of her 'beautiful eyes'.
Abbie reportedly suffered 60 per cent burns in the blast on the packed boat and although she was rushed to hospital, she sadly died three days later.
Two of her siblings, Carley and Bradley, were among more than 20 tourists 'badly injured' after the catamaran exploded into a fireball.
The three children were understood to have been on the boat without their parents Gary and Rebecca Lainton.
The teenager coached athletes at the Swindon Lightning Cheerleading Club and was a former pupil at Tanwood School for Performing Arts, a youth musical theatre group.
A spokesman for the Foreign Office said it is providing consular support to Abbie's family and assisting other British nationals and their families affected by the incident.
It is in contact with the local authorities.
According to a fundraising page set up to raise money for Abbie's family, the schoolgirl died on July 30 in a 'terrible accident'.
She had been enjoying the summer with her friends and was looking forward to receiving her GCSE results, the page reads.
Abigail's cheerleading club Swindon Lightning paid tribute to 'her kindness, infectious smile, unwavering encouragement and love for cheerleading'
A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family through this difficult time and has already raised over £17,000
Those who live nearby to Abbie's family in Swindon said they have lived there for 'quite some time' and have told of their shock at the news.
One neighbour told the Daily Mail: 'I heard the two girls and the lad were on the boat and must have been near where it exploded.
'It's terrible. The young girl's not too bad, she's got a broken leg and her brother's got some burns but he's not too bad now. They're all back in the UK now. I've known them for a long time. It's heartbreaking.'
A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family through this difficult time and has already raised more than £21,000.
Reports said at the time that 24 people were injured and taken to local hospitals, with many of them suffering burns.
A witness said empty boats dashed to rescue those on the damaged vessel.
One news anchor stated on TV: 'This type of case is not the first time it's happened in our country. There have been several. Every vessel on beaches in tourist areas must have a valid permit and authorisation.
'But what worries me most is the necessary maintenance given to those vessels to transport tourists. How often are they supervised by the authorities?'
One neighbour said: 'It's unbelievable. We heard about it from a friend of a friend. It's extremely, extremely upsetting. They've not been out the house much.
'We were just aware that something wasn't right. They're a nice family, very nice family.'
The blast left some people with broken bones and spinal injuries with an official in the Dominican Republic adding 'we will offer every assistance that we can during this sorrowful time. Our prayers are with the family'.
Writing on Facebook, Tanwood School for Performing Arts shared the news of Abbie's death and posted photos of her as a young child dressed in various dance costumes.
The school said: 'Abbie joined Tanwood as a dinky dot and was part of an exceptional group of dancers who formed strong friendships which spilled over to the audience when they performed together.
'She always performed with a huge smile, and those beautiful feet! Abbie took her dance training and joined Swindon Lightning Cheerleading Club where she once again excelled and competed all over the world.
'Abbie's family have been part of the Tanwood family for years, and have always offered unwavering support.
'We are all in complete shock at this heartbreaking news and send so much love and support to her family and friends at this unimaginable time. You will always be in our hearts.'
Swindon Lightning Cheerleading Club paid tribute to the 'beautiful athlete and coach' in a post on Instagram.
It said: 'There are simply no words that feel enough. Abbie was a much-loved member of our Swindon Lightning family.
'Her kindness, infectious smile, unwavering encouragement and love for cheerleading touched the lives of so many athletes, coaches and families over the years. She brought so much light to our gym, and her loss has left us all heartbroken.'
Also among those to pay tribute was cheerleading champion, and star of the Netflix docuseries Cheer, Dillon Brandt.
He wrote on Instagram: 'Abbie was an amazing athlete and coach, a part of Swindon Lightning. This beautiful and talented person has passed away, the dedication to be a dedicated and loving person in the world did not go unnoticed.
'Please take the time to pray for her family, friends, and Swindon Lightning family during this time.'
