Teenager said he had PREMONITION on morning of boat explosion that burned 80% of his body

By WILKO MARTÍNEZ-CACHERO, US REPORTER Published: 00:51, 3 July 2026 | Updated: 00:58, 3 July 2026 A Georgia teenager who had about 80 percent of his body burned in a massive boat explosion said he had a premonition on the morning of the life–changing incident. Isaac Freeman, 18, recalled the explosion on Lake Nottely, about 120 miles north of Atlanta, last Fouth of July just days ahead of its anniversary. Freeman revealed that he had a 'weird feeling that day' about going on the lake trip with his family and friends, which ended in a monthslong hospital stay. 'I was actually pretty close to not going,' Freeman told WSB–TV. He was on the boat being driven by his father alongside two brothers and several other family members. Nearly one year after the explosion, Freeman seemed open to the possibility to getting back on a boat on the lake ahead of this year's 4th of July weekend. 'It's 50/50,' he told the outlet. 'It's hard to say.' Freeman added that he would 'know until I get there,' as he recalled the unexpected blast. 18-year-old Isaac Freeman saw about 80 percent of his body burned in a boat explosion on Lake Nottely in Georgia, about 120 miles north of Atlanta, last Fourth of July In a new interview, Freeman revealed that he had a 'weird feeling' about going on the lake trip with his family and friends Freeman added that he was 'pretty close to not going' to the trip where the explosion that sent him to the hospital for months happened Freeman said that the explosion last year 'sort of knocked me out.' His family had stopped to get gas, when they said the vessel suddenly exploded and burst into flames. He remembered waking up in the water and being 'in shock' at what had just happened. The teenager, then 17, suffered burns to roughly 80 percent of his body. 'A lot of my nerves at that point were just gone, burnt off,' Freeman said. While he was being airlifted to the hospital, Freeman recalled being 'on a lot of painkillers.' He said the experience made him realize that he should not take anything for granted. 'There's no promise of tomorrow,' Freeman told the outlet. So far, he has underwent more than a dozen surgeries. More are still planned. Freeman said he was open to going back on a boat during this year's Independence Day celebrations but that he was still '50/50' The teen's father, Matthew Miller, was driving the boat at the time of the explosion. Isaac's two brothers were also on the vessel Freeman's mother, Brittany, said the ordeal was 'terrifying,' while his dad, Matthew, who was driving the boat, previously said the most important thing was that they were still alive Freeman's mother, Brittany Miller, said that the three months her son spent at Grady Memorial Hospital were 'terrifying.' The first stretch of that included a medically–induced coma, according to the mom. 'I'm just so proud that he is motivated to keep himself going and he's not doing it for us,' she told the outlet. The teen's father, Matthew Miller, was the one piloting the boat when it blew up. His three sons were on the vessel, according to AtlantaNewsFirst. Miller explained that the family had to refuel, so he shut off the engine and turned the blower fans on. The boat was relatively new, with just 350 hours accumulated. Miller said he had 25 years of boating experience. Once the boat was refueled successfully, the family circled around to pick up trash in the water. But as family members were about to do that, the back of the boat suddenly blew up, badly injuring Freeman. 'He [had] 82 percent third degree burns,' the dad recalled. 'Second degree on his face and other areas.' 'We are all alive,' he added. 'That’s the most important thing.'  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.