Picture by WSOC-TV/Contributed
Cliff Champion's "Championship II" houseboat burns after exploding Tuesday afternoon at Westport Marina in Denver. Searchers are looking for 19-year-old Nathan Coppick of Denver, who wea refueling the boat at the time of the explosion.

SPARK MAY HAVE CAUSED DEADLY BOAT EXPLOSION

UPDATE: As of 10:15 p.m. Wednesday, searchers have recovered the body of Nate Coppick. The boat, however, is still in the water.

By Jon Mayhew

DENVER -- Family and friends of 19-year-old Nathan Coppick are waiting for closure as searchers begin the grim taks of recovering his body. Coppick was refueling the "Championship II," an 80-foot houseboat owned by Cliff Champion, when it exploded. Authorities said they believe the body is located below the boat.

Before searchers could take to the water, they had to wait for more than 150 gallons of fuel to be cleaned up from the cove and also wait for large cranes to lift the sunken boat out of the water.

Investigators are saying that some kind of spark may have caused the explosion.

Boat owner Cliff Champion had just finished a graduation party on his boat, which was used for party-type cruises across the lake. Champion also used his boat to aid in search and recovery missions on Lake Norman, letting personnel use his boat as a recovery point.

Channel 9 Eyewitness News reporter Ken Lemon spent the day talking to friends and family of the teen caught up and lost in the Lake Norman boat explosion.

Nathan Coppick’s father smiled briefly as he showed a picture of his son to reporters. The picture shows Coppick in his element, the outdoors.

Friends says he loved working at the Westport Marina.

Co-worker Eric Young says Coppick was always happy here.

“He made me smile the whole time I worked with him,” said Young

Coppick graduated from North Lincoln High School two years ago. His principal still remembers the teen with the bright future and unforgettable smile.

“His outgoing personality, his quick smile, light heart, he was a great guy all the way around,” said Richard Freeman.

Coppick wanted to be a businessman. He was recently accepted to the NC State School of business.

Former pastor and family friend Larry Paulk said Coppick always came home to be with his parents, sister and friends.

That group now needs closure.

“We want him to be found as quickly as possible,” said Pauk.

Around 4 p.m. Tuesday, Champion's boat was at Westport Marina when the explosion happened. Champion said the force of the blast blew all of the windows out of the boat.

Champion, along with three other people, ran out the front of the boat after the first of two blasts. People across Highway 16 said they felt the effects of the blast.

Champion's boat was a fixture on the water for several years.

Lincoln County Sheriff’s deputies are assisting the North Carolina Wildlife Resources officers and Fire and Rescue crews with scene security as they search the cove of Lucky Creek for the missing man.

Sea Tow, a boat towing company, is setting up a crane and floats to help lift the 80 foot long charter boat off the lake bottom. North Carolina Environmental Health is continuing to sample the water in the area. Two sets of hazardous materials containment buoys are on the water to prevent any movement of fuel or oil.

Channel 9 Eyewitness News contributed to this report.