Florida Man Accidentally Launches Homemade Barbecue Boat into Traffic on I-75

Florida Man Accidentally Launches Homemade Barbecue Boat into Traffic on I-75

May 20, 2025

A Marion County man was cited for public endangerment Saturday afternoon after his homemade “Pontoon BBQ” broke loose from its trailer and skidded across three lanes of northbound I-75 traffic, narrowly avoiding several vehicles.

According to Florida Highway Patrol, 47-year-old Keith Dunham of Ocklawaha had spent “the better part of six weeks” converting an old pontoon boat into a floating smokehouse, complete with a propane grill, a deep fryer, and a makeshift smoker fashioned from a converted beer keg.

“I was gonna debut it next weekend down at Lake Weir,” Dunham told reporters from outside the Marion County Jail, where he was booked and released. “But I wanted to test the brakes on the trailer first. I guess I forgot the safety chains.”

Witnesses say the boat careened across the interstate median after hitting a bump on the on-ramp, sending a plume of mesquite-scented smoke into the air. It came to rest near the center divider.

FHP Trooper Candice Morales said the situation could have been much worse. “Fortunately, no one was hurt.”

Durham faces charges of unsafe towing, and failure to secure a load.

“I’ll fix it,” Dunham said. “I’ll be back in action in time for the Fourth of July.”