SYLVAN BEACH -- Two people are recovering after they were forced to jump into an upstate New York lake when their boat caught fire and exploded.

Police say 48-year-old Russell Metzger and 43-year-old Lisa Parkhurst reported smelling gasoline just before flames erupted on their boat, which was being prepared for winter storage.

The Syracuse couple were about a mile north of shore on Oneida Lake near Sylvan Beach just before 7 p.m. Sunday when the explosion happened. They were rescued by a passing boat after jumping overboard into the chilly water. They were treated for hypothermia at a local health center.

State police say an apparent mechanical failure caused the fire. Troopers are continuing their investigation.

Troopers say the boat sank in about 50 feet of water.